Rejecting Freedom
by WindWitch00
Summary: Join Robin as she travels through the Grand Line with the Straw Hat crew, earning their trust as she goes and possible even finding love. RoZo later on, hints of NaSa
1. With Life There Are Decisions

_A/N:_ Hi! So I decided to write this story because there aren't enough Robin stories around and I just like the couple. I hope everyone enjoys!

Rejecting Freedom

Chapter 1

With Life, There Are Decisions

I watched the king and straw hat disappear in the distance, collapsed on the ground. How could he have done that, with the fact I wanted to die in mind? I had nothing left, not now. Normally I would have information of another poneglyph in mind by the time I escaped from the person I had been using but I didn't even have that. All my hopes were gone with that and on top of everything else this land was swarming with marines.

For I moment, I considered just letting them take me, to end it all before I discarded the idea. I wouldn't let it end like that. There had to be another way. First things first, however, I had to get out of the area. I doubted there would be a soul in this country who wouldn't turn me in if I was found.

I pushed myself up and started to walk, my body aching at the process. I was healing just fine but it would take a few days to recover. My gaze went to the collapsed area where the tombs had been. It was a pity all the history that had been lost on the country when it collapsed. I simply hoped that some of it remained, if someone cared to bury it out. The straw hat had ruined my chance to be buried with it, to buried with the goal that had dried up.

It was truly his fault that I was in this situation, not knowing what to do. Normally I would be searching for someone to help me but the plot with Crocodile had left a bad taste in my mouth, something that was odd. I didn't usually feel this way when I betrayed people. Maybe it had been watching the people hurt in this particular plot, the country almost falling and watching straw hat and his crew dragged into this mess because they cared about a companion.

I smiled bitterly, my feet dragging in the sand. The crew was lucky in more than one way, having someone else to depend on, someone who trusted and supported them. It was something I knew I couldn't have, not with the world government after me. I attracted two types of people in my life: people who wanted to use my knowledge to destroy or rule the world and those who's caring ended upon finding out who I was. I couldn't help but wonder which category the straw hats would fit into.

It didn't really matter but I was curious. Straw Hat seemed to have helped me because he cared, not listening to my protests until even my matter on it was clouded. In a way, I hated him for intervening. But then looking back on it, he seemed to have actually cared for everyone around him. He treated almost everyone as a friend, except for those who had hurt his friends. With that type of attitude, he probably had a good chance of achieving his dream to be the pirate king.

I couldn't help but let my mood be lifted at the thought of it. It was hard to understand how someone could possibly stay so good mood even when things were so bad. I wasn't strong enough to do something like that. In way, his attitude reminded me of Saul and his advice to laugh when things were the worst.

A thought occurred to me. If he was trying to become the pirate king, he would have to travel to the end of Grand Line and that meant going to every island on the way. Islands that very well might have a poneglyph located on them, one of them having in the Rio Poneglyph. If I joined his crew, I would have a better chance of finding them and hopefully people I could depend on.

The only issue with it was what they would do when the World Government came after me. I hated bringing misery onto those who were just trying to help me. But then again, they were pirates that the Marines were already chasing after, that would be pursued even more because Straw Hat had defeated Crocodile. Would they even notice the difference?

I made my decision quickly, although I knew it to be selfish. It was hardly a new emotion to judge with because I knew that I had to carry on the work Ohara had been destroyed for. I would achieve my dream, no matter how many people it hurt. That was simply how my life went.

I found the Straw Hat's ship three days later, taking a slow and easy pace to reach the river I knew it to be in. Rumors had told me that the crew was still in the capital, recovering from their injuries and that suited me just fine. I wanted to learn more about them before I actually met them officially and joined the crew. I doubted anyone but Straw Hat himself would accept me and that was the flaw in my plan. I wanted to earn their trust quickly as it made things so much easier. And the quickest way to do that was to learn their weaknesses and manipulate them with it.

The ship bobbed in the river slowly, the front of it beaming with happiness. I smiled at it and boarded, walking over to it. It was such a happy figure, fitting Straw hat himself perfectly. I ran my hand across it, feeling the wood slowly, the small nicks and scraps that marred the wood. It must have been through a lot. My gaze drifted to the rest of the ship, taking in every detail. Someone in the crew liked orange trees for they took over part of the upper deck.

I walked up to them, inhaling the smell, curious. It was quite a good idea to have such things on ship, for it made sure everyone was healthy and not getting scurvy. I couldn't help but wonder who they belonged to. My sources pointed to the navigator of the crew but it was hard to be sure. It was a mystery that I would have to solve later.

Once I had examined the top deck, I decided to climb up to the top of the mast, into the crows nest. The view made my heart lift as I reached the top of it. It was nice to be up here, I decided. I wondered what it would be like at night, the stars that much closer. I leaned against the mast, the soft desert breeze blowing across me, enjoying the view of the river and the desert behind it.

A few minutes later, I climbed down and began to scour the lower decks for clues. The first room I came to seemed to be a woman's, probably the navigator's. The bed looked so nice that I collapsed into it for a moment, my body wanting to rest. My clothes stiff with blood and sweat reminded me of my need for better clothes so I helped myself to her wardrobe, choosing a simple outfit. It felt good and clean. I would worry about showering later, once I found where it was on the ship. But right now, my priority was to find information.

My gaze swept across the navigator's room, taking in the details. She had several mapping tools that perked my interest and I walked over to examine them. A few rough sketches of maps were on the paper, along with lots of notes and drawings of islands. A stack of local maps from several areas didn't miss my gaze, as well as the sack of coins carefully hidden within the room. People very rarely hide money unless they had a reason to. That correlated with the information she had gathered that hinted the navigator was obsessed with wealth or very picky with it. I smiled; glad I had stopped at Crocodiles office before leaving, to take a few items of interest, one of them being his jewels. I had a feeling the navigator's trust could be bought with it, or at least put her in more liking mood of me.

The next room I came to was the men's, several hammocks hanging above each other inside it. It wasn't much bigger than the navigator's room, making me think the navigator controlled what she wanted, probably bullying the men into obeying her. Not much else was in the room, just a few weights and some medical books. I assumed that the books were the doctor's, and the weights the Pirate Hunter's. They didn't tell me anything that helped greatly, for they were things that I had guessed before. There was nothing atypical of the items.

I sighed as I walked out of the men's rooms and walked a little ways to what had to be the kitchen. Once again, nothing was too atypical in the room. I checked the fridge, hoping to find something interesting and found mostly an odd meat, like a lizard's but much too big to be one. I disregarded it as meat from a lizard on Little Garden. The fact that there was so much meat was quite interesting; however, making me think someone on the crew enjoyed it very much.

I began to go through the cupboards, hoping to find something. I found some coffee, a smile coming to my face at the sight of it. It had been a long time since I had enjoyed any as I hadn't been able to just relax and read for quite a while. I decided it wouldn't hurt to have any so I made myself a cup and continued my search, savoring the taste as I took a sip.

The rest of the rooms were slightly more interesting, with the crew's possessions scattered amongst them. I found more weights, these weighing much more than the previous ones and the doctor's office, where some little yellow balls sat upon the desk. I had picked them up, curious and found them to be some type of pill that must have helped the little reindeer change into his different forms. I also found a workshop that had half-made weapons on it which had to belong to the long-nosed sniper.

When I was done, I returned to the kitchen and refilled my coffee cup, helping myself to some food that was in the fridge and sitting down, relaxing in the room around me. I had learned some interesting things about the crew in my search, things that would likely help me out in the future. As for gaining their trust, it wouldn't be too troublesome, in all likelihood. I didn't need to worry about Straw Hat for he already trusted me. The navigator would feel better about my presence with the jewels and if the little doctor didn't trust me, I had a feeling that I would be able to sway him with a book on medicine that I had with me, something picked up on my time with Crocodile. I had a feeling by looking at the Long Nose's creations that he wouldn't be much trouble, either, if I entertained him and the Straw Hat by being silly with my devil's fruit ability. I didn't worry about the cook, remembering the last time meeting with him had showed me he was trusting of women.

I took a sip of my coffee. The only snag in my plan was the swordsman. I could try bribing him with something but looking at his personality only showed me that it would increase his distrust of me. In fact, I wasn't quite sure how to gain his trust at all, except by earning it. Still, a part of me warned that he would probably not be the best person to have as an enemy. It seemed like his loyalty to the crew was undisputed, however. He would follow his captain's wishes and that would keep me safe. I couldn't help but wonder if he did have a chink in his armor that would let me get his trust easier. If there was, I didn't know about it. The best plan I had was to flirt with him, to treat him as nice as I could so that perhaps his suspicion would slip away. The other possibility was that it would make him more suspicious of me, more wary around me. There was no other way I could think of, however, so I stuck to it.

I sighed, setting down my cup of coffee. I had left all my possessions on the shore, just in case. Before I relaxed, I needed to retrieve them. My only motivation was that my books were in the bag and I felt like reading to relax a little. As I walked off the ship to pick up my discarded bags, I couldn't help but look at the ship's deck with longing, the folded lounge chair calling to me. But I had decided to stay hidden until we were out at sea, where they couldn't drop me off on land, until they had no choice but to accept me.

I snagged my bag and walked backed to the ship, ignoring the sunny deck to go back into the shady cabin, into the kitchen. This would be as good of a place as any to wait for them. I doubted any of the crew members would come below deck when they arrived, especially because the Marines would very likely be at their tail and they would have to take care of the situation before they could relax.

A small book sitting on the edge of the counter caught my attention, something I had missed before, disregarding it completely to be a cookbook of some sort. It might be interesting to read, seeing as I was stuck waiting for the Straw Hats to return. Perhaps it would have an interesting recipe that I could try, as long as I had the ingredients and it didn't require cooking, which would attract attention.

I walked over and picked it up, flipping to the first page. A surprise greeted me, the page handwritten and very obviously not a recipe of any sort. I realized it was, in fact, the ship's journal. A smile came across my lips as I sat back down and relaxed, beginning to read it, intoxicated by the words.

I had just finished the journal when the ship began to move, making me look up at the deck in surprise. It was the middle of the night! Had the Straw Hats really come back at such a time? Or was it someone else, perhaps the Marines trying to seize the ship. My lips tightened. I hoped it wasn't the Marines. If it was, I couldn't simply just let them take the ship. I would need to fight them off and then try to steer the ship out of danger until I could get a note to the crew to let them know. I had a feeling that such a thing wouldn't go over very well.

I used my devil's fruit ability to grow an eye on the ship's mast, my eyes closing to see what was going on. Someone was indeed on the ship but it didn't appear to be the crew. Surprise crossed my mind as I recognized Mr. 2 dancing around the deck, the moonlight lighting up his face. But then I smiled my fears of the Marines gone. I had no issue with him taking the ship to the Straw Hats as long as he didn't realize I was on it.

I devoured the words on the book in front of me, leaning on the kitchen table, hands at my cheeks. It was a book from the library of Alabasta which I had taken, entitled _Birds of Grand Line_. It had seemed appropriate at the time and I thought the knowledge would be useful in the future. Many ancient people admired the birds that filled their islands and those birds sometimes lead to a history unknown. Birds often didn't change their nesting places over all these years and sometimes the nesting lands were upon old ruins, filled with history.

The ship had moved on and off for the last few hours, but thankfully not a soul had come below decks to look. I had finally been able to take my bath, cleaning off all the dirt from my fight, if it could be called that, with Crocodile. As far as I knew, Mr. 2 was on his way to the crew or the crew was coming to him. Currently, the ship wasn't moving much, just swaying with the tides.

A loud noise perked my interest, a noise that could be no other than the crew returning. Straw Hat's voice was unmistakable, yelling something. A stomping sound followed, Mr. 2 yelling something. I ignored it, turning back to my book. It didn't concern me, at least not yet.

Within minutes, I fell the ship begin to start sailing again and relaxed. The yelling from Straw Hat grew louder and then even it was drowned out by the sound of cannon fire. The ship began to jerk soon after that, as if it was getting hit by something. I heard someone run down stairs, making me look up before my attention drifted back to my book. An attack from the marines had to be the cause of all this noise. I didn't need to worry about being seen. The crew would be much too enthralled in the fight to even notice me, too worried about the danger.

Someone began to bang on the ship, probably patching up holes that the Marines were causing. I wasn't too worried about sinking. If we did, that was it. I would drown and my new hopes would have been for naught but the result wasn't very concerning. I had almost been killed by Crocodile, anyways. A cannon fired from above deck before things quieted down for a little bit, the cannon shots growing farther away. But I had a feeling it wasn't over quite yet.

Sure enough, the cannon fire grew close to the ship once again, never seeming to hit anything. I wondered if the Straw Hat was using his body to bounce them back. When they quieted, I heard the Princess's voice saying something but I ignored it. It didn't matter to me what was going on between them. The speed of the ship began to increase when it was over, the sound of the cannons growing silent. I soon felt the familiar sensation of being on the open sea.

I placed my book on the table, folding the page slightly so I would be able to keep my spot and rose to my feet, walking to the entrance to the deck. Voices came through the door, sad then upset, with one rather calm throughout. I smiled and pushed open the door. The swordsman was walking away, slowly.

"At last we're out to sea…good work," I complemented as all hell broke loose on the deck as the crew recognized who I was.

I smiled at the stars above me, as I relaxed inside the crow's nest. Everything had gone as planned. I had most of the crew on my side, mostly by entertaining them with my abilities. Already I was feeling more relaxed, at home in the place. For a moment, I had thought I lost the long nose's trust as he plotted with swordsman but I had to thank Straw Hat for clearing that up.

My gaze went down to the deck, where the steady sound of clinking rang out in the night air, the only thing disturbing the silence. The swordsman was training on the deck, completely focused on it and very pointedly ignoring me. As expected, he was the only crew member who didn't care for me in the least. I had taken the night watch to make sure I was indeed trusted. None of the crewmembers had protested against it. The cook had even made me some coffee to keep me warm. The swordsman, however, hadn't left the deck since I had begun my watch, passing of his observation of me as training.

It was just fine with me that he was doing so. It made the night less lonely with his presence and it made it easier to earn his trust faster. He looked up at me, pausing lifting to look up me, as if he knew what my thoughts were on. His gaze was intense, suspicious. I smiled at him.

"It's a lovely night," I commented to him. "And here I was hoping that the ship was just as lively at night as in the day," He scowled at me, not answering as he returned to his weights. I laughed under my breath at his reaction. He didn't seem in the mood to even pretend that he trusted me.

Silence once again filled the night; expect of course the sound of him training. I continued to stare at him with the knowledge that it bothered him and well as from curiosity. I considered using my devil's fruit abilities to toy with him but decided it wasn't the best idea as I didn't know how he would take it. So I climbed out of the crow's nest instead, walking down the ladder to lean against the railing. I noticed he tensed up as I walked past, not saying anything.

I continued to watch him train for a few minutes, a smile on my lips and my cheek on my hand, enjoying watching him squirm silently. Finally I spoke, making him pause slightly. "Do you not trust me enough to keep guard?" I inquired playfully. "Or are you so committed to your goal that you don't sleep?"

He grunted in reply, as if he was trying his best to ignore me. I felt a tad bit disappointed at his reaction. He had been slightly more…cooperative… earlier in the day. As it was, I might as well have been trying to talk to a stone.

"What are your intentions?" he suddenly asked, putting down his weights to look me in the eye. I smiled at him coyly.

"I seek the lost history," I replied simply. His expression told me that he didn't like my answer in the least. "And what of you, what are your goals?"

"You don't need to know," he replied before walking away, climbing into the crow's nest. I frowned at his back. I had a feeling this was going to be a rather difficult situation to overcome.

"Sanji, meat!" Luffy demanded as he bounded into the kitchen, ready for dinner. I watched him in amusement, sitting down next to Nami. The last week had passed peaceful and I had been able to get through my book while tanning on the deck. Zoro had continued his constant surveillance of me throughout the time, acting as if I was out of his sight, I would destroy the ship or something silly like that. I had been able to get away to the kitchens with Nami, however, escaping his eyes, if only for a little bit.

The cook was dancing around the kitchen, delighted that Nami and I were there to visit him. Upon hearing Luffy's voice he abruptly became serious, focusing on the food he was cooking.

"It will be done in a few minutes," he said sternly. Luffy sat down diagonally from me, grinning widely as Chopper walked in. The little doctor was practically bouncing with happiness. I had lent him my book on medicine earlier, which seemed to have made his day. He sat down next to Luffy, who was beginning to chant about food in excitement. Within seconds, Chopper was joining him. Usopp walked in next, grinning to himself as he sat at a table end.

"Where's Marimo?" Sanji asked as he began to set the food on the table, putting it in front of us first as usual. Luffy stopped chanting, his arm stretching to grab the food. Nami smacked it down.

"Wait until everyone is here, Luffy," she chided at him loudly. He recoiled his hand quickly.

"That hurt, Nami," he whined. But he recovered quickly because he was suddenly opening the door, shouting, "Zoro! Food!"

He waited a few minutes, but the swordsman didn't appear. I frowned. I knew he wasn't as food motivated as his captain but he usually was one of the first ready to eat. He was probably sleeping around the ship somewhere.

"I'll go find him," I volunteered, rising to my feet.

"Can we start eating yet, Nami?" Luffy begged. Nami shot him a glare as I walked out the door. The sky outside was beginning to grow dark, the air going much colder. My gaze went to the place Zoro was normally found, leaning against the top rail but he wasn't there. The next place to check was my favorite place, the crow's nest. In the least, if I climbed up there I would have a view of the entire ship and would be able to see him if he was on deck.

It didn't take me long to climb up. A smile came to my face as I looked inside it. Zoro was fast asleep, one hand touching the hilt of his katana.

"Mr. Swordsman," I called softly. "It's time for dinner," he didn't respond. He was always rather peaceful when sleeping on deck but it was easy to tell he wasn't completely relaxed, still focused on what was going on around him. This was different, he was completely relaxed. I reached over and touched his shoulder with my hand, shaking him gently. It didn't truly surprise me that he was so tired, I had done watch the last two nights and he had stayed awake throughout my entire watch and for most of the day as well.

His eyes snapped open, half-drawing out his blade before he realized what was going on. "Don't touch me!" he growled. I pulled back, startled at how annoyed he looked, such a stark comparison to his peacefulness only a few moments ago. My movement made my balance unsteady and I felt myself fall from the mast. Instincts kicked in instantly as I used my devil's fruit abilities to catch myself as I fell to the deck, making a net of arms that caught me swiftly.

Zoro jumped to the deck seconds after me, not even to bothering to say anything as he walked into the kitchen. I let my arms disappear, falling to the ground softly. That could have gone better in so many ways. The man could be such a child sometimes, I thought as I stood up and followed him into the kitchen where Luffy was already digging into the food, ignoring Sanji and Nami's protests.

I sat down in my seat, a smile on my lips. To my surprise, Zoro was across the table from me, ignoring me as he dug into his food. The tired emotion was still in his eyes, however, if carefully hidden. I remembered that he had watch tonight.

"Mr. Swordsman, I don't think you should take the watch tonight," I suggested. His gaze was emotionless. "You should catch up on your sleep,"

"I'll be fine," he told me snidely, his expression almost a glare. It made my smile deepen. The man was mature for his age, that was sure but right now, it felt like I was dealing with a stubborn little kid. I wondered how I should treat it without sounding too motherly, for I knew it would only make things worse. I had a feeling yelling wouldn't work, not that it was my style. For a moment I considered going to the doctor, asking him for help. And yet, if I did that, I had a feeling his distrust of me would grow. No, I would need to handle this my way, with some simple manipulation.

I looked over at Sanji, my mind whirling. If there was thing I knew men similar to the swordsman liked, it was heavy alcohol. The only one who I could think of possessing such a thing, it would be the cook. I ignored Zoro as I turned my attention to the cook, my flirting smile coming to my face.

"Mr. Cook," I purred. He turned his attention to me, eyes hearts.

"What is it, Robin-swaaaannnn?" he cooed. I laughed slightly.

"Would you happen to have any rum lying around?" I inquired. "I have a feeling I'll have a hard time getting to sleep tonight and it would help relax me,"

"Of course, anything for you!" he replied happily, getting up and rummaging in the cabinets before pulling out a bottle and placing it before me. I smiled at him again.

"Thank you," I purred before turning my gaze from him, ignoring his love declarations and such, amused. I began to finish my meal, taking my sweet time with it. When I shot a glance at Zoro, he was staring at me with suspicion in his eyes.

"Are you okay?" Nami asked me slowly. I smiled at her.

"Of course," I assured her. "Just a few memories that I want to suppress," She still seemed worried but didn't say anything.

"Hey, Luffy, that's mine," Chopper suddenly complained, an arm stretched across the table. Nami's attention was abruptly jerked away from me as she began to yell at Luffy. I sighed softly, grabbed the rum and left, feeling Zoro's gaze probing into my back.

_a/N:_ I hoped every like the chapter!


	2. Don't Worry, I'm Only Helping You

Rejecting Freedom

Chapter 2

Don't Worry, I'm Only Helping You

I smiled at the little doctor as he rolled his herbs, not noticing my presence just yet. He was so peaceful in his craft, completely absorbed by it.

"Mr. Reindeer," I said quietly. "I was wondering if I could ask you for some help," He jumped at my voice, clutching his chair in terror. When he noticed my face he relaxed a little bit, but he still seemed a little jumpy about the fact it was just us in his office.

"Robin," he squeaked. "You scared me,"

"I'm sorry," I murmured. "Do you think you could make me something to help me sleep tonight?" He squirmed on his seat, nervous. I gave him a sweet smile, hoping to calm his nerves slightly.

"I'll try," he told me. That was good news.

"I'm sure you'll do just fine. You're a good doctor," I replied. He did a little happy dance, blushing slighting.

"No matter what you say, it won't make me happy, bastard," he told me. I laughed slightly and leaned against his walls, watching him mix herbs, talking to himself quietly. He was rather cute in his work, so happy with it. His story about his past had been interesting and had told me how dedicated he was to his work. My comment about him being a good doctor hadn't even been close to a lie. I had met many doctors who didn't even have half his skill or determination. Within a few minutes he was done, the mixture a runny paste, basically a liquid.

"Thank you, Mr. Reindeer," I said brightly. He didn't reply, hiding his embarrassment at my praise, wiggling in his chair, muttering an insult to hide it before he turned back to his herbs. . I walked out the door, smiling happily to myself at his antics.

"What are you up to?" Zoro's voice asked from out of the darkness. Looking down the corridor, I could see his shadow leaning against the wall. I smiled innocently to hide my surprise. Was the man truly that distrusting that he thought I would do something to the cute little doctor?

"Am I not allowed to get a good night's sleep, Mr. Swordsman?" I inquired before walking outside, breathing in the night air. It was rather peaceful, if cold outside, the sun far below the horizon. Before long, I heard his footsteps echo behind me. I climbed up to the crow's nest, watching the moon. I had a feeling everyone else on the ship was going to sleep right about then. For a moment I considered joining them, to be able to talk with Nami and find out more about her before she went to bed but I needed to stay slightly focused.

I heard Zoro thump down on the deck, sitting in his favorite spot, one hand on the top of his katana, as usual. My gaze went down to him before I began my newest book, _The Meaning of Dreams_. I would wait and see if he intended on sleeping before I tried anything. If not, I would put my plan into action. I wasn't going to let him wear down his energy watching me because he couldn't trust me so that he could get injured the next time we faced an enemy, causing worry and stress for the rest of the poor crew. Not that the man would ever listen to my advice, especially not at this moment. But it was the least I could do, knowing the trouble I would bring on this happy crew sooner or later. I drifted away from such thoughts, focusing on the words on the pages before me, absorbing the information.

I watched him for over half an hour before I realized he wasn't going to budge nor go to sleep. I climbed down from the crow's nest soon after that, going in the kitchen and reading in there until I was more than ready for sleep, yawing as I focused on the words. My gaze went to the window, finding that it was probably past midnight.

I walked to the room that I shared with Nami and grabbed the bottle of rum. Then, I walked to the kitchen and took a glass out of the cupboard, pouring myself a glass of the rum. The next thing I did was rub the sleeping medicine on the rim of the bottle, where it would only affect someone who drank directly out of the bottle. I partially wished to just put in all in the bottle, to be sure but if the situation called for it, I would be unable to convince Zoro I wasn't tricking him and taking another glass myself. I didn't grab a glass for him either as I walked out, I had a feeling he would be suspicious the moment I did, not trusting me not to manipulate him one way or another.

The night air felt good, although it was a bit cold. I considered grabbing a blanket but I thought it would make it look like I was planning on sitting through the night with him. Besides, the cold air would make me alert so I could stay awake through the night. Zoro hadn't moved since I had left, when the sun had just been going down. As I walked near him, he almost looked like he was asleep, which would be fine with me. I wouldn't need to do anything if he was because he had already filled my goal for the night.

The second my foot fell on the upper level of the deck, however, his eyes shot open, darting to me suspiciously. I smiled at him, walking to the edge of the deck, leaning on the rail. His eyes left me, looking at the sky instead. That was odd, usually his eyes would follow me around, not trusting me to do anything without supervision.

"I'm sorry if I woke you, Mr. Swordsman," I murmured, watching him the entire time as I sat next to the rail slowly, setting down my glass and the bottle of rum beside me. I was the furthest away from him as I could be on the deck, knowing that he didn't trust me enough to be any closer to him. My gaze went to the stars behind him, the moon hanging in the sky above the mast.

"Your past?" he asked me. I looked at him in surprise. That was even odder. Since I had come on the ship, he hadn't asked me one thing about myself, except what my intentions were.

"Do you really care?" I asked him softly. His eyes met mine, looking serious.

"I still don't trust you," he told me. "But I doubt you're going to try anything for now," A genuine smile came to my face, an unknown happiness rising up at his trust, even if it was so slight. The rest of the crew already treated me like family and it was nice to think that I was finally being accepted by the one I hadn't expected from.

I shivered as a breeze swept across the deck. It was getting rather cold outside and I was regretting my decision to not bring a blanket with me. I sighed.

"I think I'm going to go get a blanket," I informed him. "Would you like one? Or is your philosophy of getting sick the same as being cold?" A hint of a grin crossed his face but never fully revealed itself, making me wonder if it had just been an illusion of the dark or a figment of my imagination from lack of sleep.

"I'm fine," he replied, his tone the lightest I had heard it yet, although it was still rather rough. I smiled as I went back into the ship, grabbing two blankets. Even if he had told me it was fine, his opinion might change upon having it in front of him.

Shock filled me as I walked back out on deck, seeing him leaning against the rail that I had been sitting next to, arms crossed. I wrapped my blanket around my shoulders, relieved at the heat it brought to me. Seeing no reason for him to protest, I returned to my spot, this time only a few feet away from him. I held up the extra blanket, offering it to him. He simply stared at it and I placed it on the ground. As I did, I remembered my rum and picked it up, taking a light sip of it, resulting in an uncomfortable burn running down my throat.

A few minutes later, I had finished it, the air around us silent. He didn't seem in the mood to talk and that was just fine with me. I wasn't about to push him to talking when he obviously still was hostile towards me. I would have plenty of time to dig at his past at a later time, as I had done with the rest of the crew. Many of their pasts had been interesting but Luffy's was still incomplete. Every time he began to indulge me on it, something on deck distracted him and I was left hanging. The only thing I really knew was about where he had received the hat and his wish to return it to a man named Shanks. For now, however, I was more than content with the information I had read in the ship's journal. At least it gave me some information on the rest of the crew. Not that I hadn't tried to get some information from Zoro, about his bounty hunting days but he had shot down my question quickly, his voice almost a snap.

I reached down, grabbing the rum bottle from the place I had put it down and added some more to my own glass. His gaze followed the bottle, seeming slightly interested. I offered to it at him when I saw that. "Would you like some, Mr. Swordsman?" I inquired. He stared at it for a moment or two, eyes narrowing.

I took a drink from my glass after I set down the bottle, as if to prove to him I hadn't poisoned it or something of the sort. That seemed to quall his worries for he took it from the ground with a grin. For a moment, I wondered if he would have done that anyways, as long as I wasn't holding it, as if to tell himself that he wasn't taking it from me, that he wasn't accepting anything from me.

"I wondered where the damn chef had hid it," he said roughly before taking a swig. I smiled at the fact he had taken the bait and took another sip from my glass. I would never understand how anyone could just drain it like that; the burn was more than enough to sway me away from it. Instead, I enjoyed a nice glass of wine when the situation called for it. In any case, I couldn't help but feel proud that I had read him well enough to know that he would take the bottle. Before, I had thought that I would have to accidently leave it on deck when I would pretend to go back to sleep. It was a relief to know that I wouldn't have to do such a thing.

Within minutes, it was gone, except for the little bit that still filled my glass. I didn't say a word, knowing it wouldn't help the situation and make him suspicious of me manipulating him into drinking the rum. Instead, I smiled and rose to my feet, finishing off the last of my rum. A yawn came to my lips.

"Good night, Mr. Swordsman," I told him as I wrapped the blanket around me and walked inside. This time I went to my bed and laid down, closing my eyes for a little bit, hoping to get a little sleep before he fell asleep and I went to take over his watch. Sleep never came so I used my devil fruit power's to make an eye appear on the top of the mast, hidden by shadows and spied on him, making sure he was going to sleep. The sleeping mix the little doctor had whipped up, combined with his initial exhaustion should have been enough to let him get a peaceful night's sleep. I could tell upon my first sight of him, he was struggling to stay awake, trying not to nod off but ended up going to sleep, being taken over by it in a few moments. I stayed where I was, to insure that he was truly asleep and not just doing his usual drifting off but still being alert thing. The relaxation that spread over his entire body told me when he was deeply asleep.

It was then that I climbed out of bed, making sure not to wake Nami as I grabbed my blanket and went back outside, fixing myself a warm cup of coffee to counter the sleepy effects the rum was having on me. I walked outside and sat on the deck slightly away from where the swordsman was sleeping, taking a sip of my coffee. I noticed that the blanket still sat next to him. It was rather cold outside and it wouldn't do for him to catch a cold by sitting out without any warmth, when he was already so tired and his immune system run down. I knew he only thought the weak at heart got colds but by not taking care of himself, he was being weak at heart or by not trusting me at all, except that I wasn't going to kill everyone right then and there.

I set down my coffee and rose to my feet, shaking out the blanket slightly before setting it across his shoulders gently, hoping the movement wouldn't wake him. My whole body froze when he stirred a little bit afterwards, but didn't wake up, probably unconsciously enjoying the heat that the blanket brought. I smiled at him slightly before walking back over to my spot and beginning my watch.

.

A few hours later, the sun began to rise and I figured it was about time to wake Sanji so he could begin breakfast. I shot a glance at Zoro, still fast asleep on the deck and crept by him, into the cabin and then into the men's room.

"Sanji, I want meat, lots of meat," greeted me as I walked into the cabin, mumbled by Luffy. It didn't startle me at all, the men's chambers were often filled with conversation in the middle of the night, and all the men fast asleep but arguing and such in their sleep.

Today, the conversation was slightly off, each of them muttering something about different subjects, instead of one subject that they continued about. Sanji was smiling in his sleep and I had no doubt that if the cook was awake, he would have hearts for eyes, swaying as he waited on a woman. Even so, I walked up to him and tapped him on the shoulder gently, whispering, "Mr. Cook, it's time to get up,"

His eyes open, the grin increasing as he saw me first thing in the morning. I put a finger to my lips, smiling, to prevent him from spilling out with fluff first thing in the morning and waking everyone else in the room.

"You should start preparing breakfast before Luffy wakes up," I murmured before walking out of the bedroom. I heard him grumble and follow but as soon as the door shut behind him, he began to babble about how happy he was to see my face first thing in the morning. I half-listened with smile, as amused by his attempts as ever.

Before long, a yawn cracked on my face. I was tired from staying up for so long. All I really wanted was my bed, to sleep the rest of the day away. "I'll be going to bed for a while, Mr. Cook," I told him quietly. "I don't think I'll be coming to breakfast so don't bother to cook anything for me," He frowned at my words, worry replacing his flirty face.

"Are you okay, Robin?" he asked me, completely serious. I smiled at him to hide anything on my face.

"Of course, Mr. Cook," I told him brightly. "I just want to catch up on the sleep I lost to guard duty," His frown stayed on his face as he walked to the kitchen. My story probably had him worried, even if parts of it were true, but it had been necessary at the time. I didn't mind sacrificing some of my own strength to keep their crew strong since they would need it once my past caught up with them and I had to flee. The day was hanging over my head even now, only a week since I had joined the crew. It would eventually come and I knew it.

I stumbled into my bed, trying not to fall asleep. As soon as my head hit my pillow, I was falling into a deep sleep.

.

_Zoro's Pov_

My eyes opened to the sky filled with sunlight, the sun rapidly rising over the horizon. I yawned and settled back down to go back to sleep, half-wondering why I was on the deck sleeping. Then I remembered having watch last night. My eyes snapped open. Shit, if the damn cook or anyone else, for that matter heard about this I would never hear the end of it.

A blanket fell from my shoulders as I moved, to get Sanji up so he could cook breakfast. What the hell was it doing on me? My eyes picked up a single cup on deck a few feet away. I walked over to it, picking it up to confirm my suspicions. The remnants of coffee could be seen in the bottom it. The damn manipulating woman had been awake after me, obviously using coffee to stay awake.

Why had she been up after me after she had drunk the rum that had the medicine to help her fall asleep in it? I had thought she would have been asleep, not drinking coffee, as she usually did to stay awake at night. Wait. Why would she drink coffee to stay awake when she had wanted to get to sleep?

My eyes narrowed as I remembered taking a swig of the rum that had been on deck. Had she put Chopper's medicine in it and I had drunk it unknowingly? But that didn't sound like her, it was too simple. My memory went back a little further, to when she had told me I was too tired to be doing watch, then let it go completely. She had asked the cook for the rum shortly afterwards. Had the damn woman manipulated me into drinking the rum with Chopper's sleeping medicine in it so I would sleep? Then she had taken over my watch for the night when I feel asleep.

The stupid cook was probably already up, cooking breakfast. I felt my temper rise at being manipulated by her in such a way. I knew how to take care of my own body, dammit, and didn't need her help in doing so! I stood up and stalked to the cabin, the door slamming behind me. Sanji came running out of the kitchen at the sound of it.

"What the hell are you doing, you stupid Marimo!" he asked angrily. Normally I would have snapped back at him, leading to a fight between us but today, I walked past him, ignoring his idiocy completely. She wasn't going to get away with this. I heard the love cook mumble behind my back before going back to the kitchen.

I brushed by Nami as she left for the kitchen, worry in her eyes. She didn't even seem to notice me at all. Within a few seconds, I was in front of the woman's room, banging the door open, figuring Robin was inside. Much to my surprise, she was fast asleep in her bed, a peaceful expression on her face. Even so I walked over.

"Oi," I snapped before my words suddenly left my mouth as her expression changed to a fearful one. It was replaced with a smiling one instantly, as if to cover up the fear. Something told me not to wake her up and before I knew it, I was walking out the door, feeling bashful. It's more of a punishment for me to let her suffer in her dreams; I lied to myself as I walked to the kitchen.

.

_Robin's PoV_

When I woke up, the sun was in the middle of the sky, hanging there peacefully. I stretched my muscles, changed clothes, grabbed my book and walked outside. Everyone was already on deck, lounging around. A few heads turned in my direction. Nami smiled at me, thankfully no worry in her eyes. Sanji was smoking a cigarette, watching the sky, or more specifically Nami carefully. Luffy, Usopp, and Chopper were playing a game on board. Zoro shot me a glare as I walked out, annoyance in his eyes as he trained, making me wonder if it was normal or if he had figured out what had occurred last night.

"Sanji, where is my snack?" Luffy suddenly shouted out, stopping the game, to touch his stomach. I smiled at him as I walked over to Nami. It was normal for him to be hungry without notice, as I had found out quickly.

"Wait a sec," Sanji replied grumpily, his eyes leaving Nami as he started to go below deck, slacking in his steps, not wanting to go do it.

"Ms. Navigator, is the log pose okay?" I inquired. She smiled brightly at me, looking at the article on her wrist.

"Straight forward to the northwest, don't worry, Ms. Robin," she replied. That was good to know. I hoped we would reach the new island soon. Luffy caught wind of our conversation and propelled himself up, hanging on the railing.

"Nami, will the next island we're going to have snow?" he inquired, a grin on his face, his hunger forgotten. I stared at him, drawing upon the knowledge I had on the next island.

"You want snow again?" she asked him off-handily as the log pose switched positions. I jumped in to share my information, to make myself useful to the crew.

"The record in Alabasta said it was an autumn island," I told Luffy. He looked excited as he came on deck with us.

"Autumn! I like autumn too!" He bubbled. I smiled at him, ready to reply when bits of something began to fall on deck.

"Is it raining?" I inquired. Sanji paused on deck, somehow never getting inside to make Luffy's snack.

"It's not rain," he replied softly.

"Is it hail?" Usopp asked, looking slightly nervous at the thought of frozen bits of rain hitting the deck. Sanji frowned.

"No, something is falling from…huh!" he said, getting cut off as he realized what it was, the rest of the crew realizing the same thing quickly. I could only stare in shock as an old galleon fell from the sky. As soon as it hit, the water, the tidal wave hit the ship, making it rock back and forth, throwing some people up into the air. I used my devil's fruit ability to grab onto the railing as the ship momentarily when sideways, threatening to throw me into the water and then hugged onto the railing for dear life.

I didn't really hear the rest of the crew freaking out as the waves became gentler. I was too busy in thought. What could cause that old of a ship to just appear like that and fall from the sky? It would have to have been in the sky from the beginning, possibly for a couple hundred years. But for it to have been in the sky, it would have to have a solid sea to float on or gravity would quickly bring it down to the earth.

"The log pose," Nami freaked, "is broken. It's pointing up, not even moving around," My gaze looked to her before it drifted to the sky. Could it be?

"That's not right," I commented slowly, "There's another magnetic field. It's changing the direction of the post. If it's pointing up it means it must have locked onto a sky island," My gaze went back to the ship, at the rubble that had fallen upon it, including a casket. That galleon had lots of history contained on it, a miracle it had survived this long but if it had fallen from the sky island, it would have that much more history on it, possibly even a poneglyph. The day was already getting much more interesting.

…

I looked at the island around me, my gaze pointed at the home hid by the fake castle, interested. This was the one clue that we had about the sky island that we had recovered. I hoped that we would find some way to get up to the island. A place like that would be good for the Rio Poneglyph to be in, since many believed the island to be a myth, nothing more. Or if not that certain Poneglyph, than another one. Who knew, perhaps I was grasping at nothing but I would hold onto the hope of seeing the island, nonetheless, if just for the sake of the history it had. Surely they would have some record of the island.

It was only a pity that nothing historic seemed to be on Jaya. I hadn't even heard of news of an ancient city in the place, except for the legend of Norland that was supposedly about this island. There were many theories of what happened to the city if he wasn't lying, many saying it sunk. If so, it was far out my reach, due to the devil fruit that I had eaten at a young age.

I sighed, looking at the ocean, wondering if the history was hidden beneath it as many thought. My thoughts were interrupted as Chopper ran on deck, excitement radiating from him.

"Robin, we're going to eat," he told me merrily. I smiled and rose from the deck.

"Sounds good," I replied before following him to the little house. He was almost skipping as he walked to the place. I opened the door before him, revealing a party about to start. I hid a laugh and walked in, taking a seat at the edge of the room.

A little while later, the party was in full swing while I read the ancient log that Cricket had, absorbing the words with interest. I took a sip from my glass of water and looked over at the rest of the crew, entertained by their obvious energy. The passage I was reading suddenly caught my attention as it mentioned the ancient city of gold.

"In the skull's right eye, gold is seen," Cricket read, suddenly appearing in front of me, crouched over the page of the book. It caught Nami's attention in a moment.

"Gold," she repeated, interest in her eyes at the mention of treasure and wealth. I was more interested in the history of this city of gold. I only half heard what Cricket was explaining about that being Norland's last words. It was obvious it was the last thing that had been written for there was nothing else in the journal. I frowned as I looked over at the rest of the crew, wondering what the skull's right eye was. Did it mean it literally or was it more referring to something in the shape of a skull?

My interest was once again perked up as Cricket recited the words in the journal, his focus on the golden bell. The next thing I knew, he was uncovering a golden bell. I felt a smile come to my lips at the sight of the token. So there had been an ancient civilization in this area. That was rather interesting, if I could find what happened to it. The time period of the bell looked like it dated to a time similar to the lost history, meaning there was a high chance of their being a poneglyph in it. My good mood was swept away as I thought about the poneglyph being lost in the sea. I could only hope that the land had been swept into the sky, the poneglyph with it or that the poneglyph still laid on this land somewhere.

I was still thinking when Cricket revealed the golden bird. The sight of the bird didn't surprise me too much; many cultures respected the birds around them. My attention was caught once again when he told us we needed to find one of the south birds in order to get to Sky Island. I rose to my feet, ready to go. If it meant getting to the island, I would be more than happy to capture the bird, as long as I had a good sight of it.

I followed the others through the forest, listening for a strange call intently but also looking for anything that might have remained of the ancient civilization. Luffy, Zoro, Sanji and Usopp got into a group to discuss plans when we reached the middle of the forest. I watched them in amusement, leaning against the nearest tree. Nami just looked annoyed that they had to do such a thing. In the end, we split up into three groups, group one being Luffy and Chopper, group two being Sanji, Nami and Usopp and group three being Zoro and I. I was more than content with the grouping, although Sanji pouted momentarily about Usopp being in his group rather than me. In the end, Nami bullied him into letting it go and he did so easily. Each group headed out in a different direction.

Before we had gone, far screams began to echo through the forest. I began to recognize one of them as Nami's and stopped, worried that something had happened to them.

"I hear screaming," I commented to Zoro. He was walking away from me, heading in an interesting direction.

"Ignore them," he told me coldly. Seconds later, a bug fell from the sky, as if attacking him. He sliced it down the middle before it could reach him. I frowned at the fact of him killing such a thing. He picked it up from the ground, while its mouth bubbled up with foam as it died. "Centipede, an annoyingly overgrown one,"

I held back a sigh, once again being reminded of how childlike the swordsman could be.

"Killing every one of them is probably bad," I chided. "They are so pitiful," For a moment, I felt like a mother telling a child not to kill the bugs because it was bad. But watching him slaughter every single creature that came near us would make me feel quite bad after a while. His face abruptly became more hostile.

"They attacked me first," he defended. "Don't give me any suggestions. By the way, I know you're hiding your true intentions. I still don't trust you! Don't forget that," Then he began to walk away from me, as if he had made his point. I watched him in amusement. I didn't need him to tell me that he didn't trust me, it was still quite obvious, and probably that was the reason he had wanted me in this group with him. He didn't want me to hurt his friends or kill them in the middle of the forest with the excuse that I didn't do it. Even so, I couldn't help but wonder if it was me he was trying to convince or himself that he still didn't trust me, since it made no sense for him to tell me what I already knew.

"Just so you know…" I called after him. He continued to walk in an effort to ignore me.

"What?" he snapped without looking back.

"The way you're heading is the way back," I informed him. He stopped and turned around as if the action was painful for him. The strange chirping noise echoed through the area.

"Chirping noise…" I said and began to walk in the direction that I heard it in, hoping to see the bird. He was still sitting there, like an upset kid. My mothering tone came back out. "…Come this way! Be careful not to step on the slime,"

He didn't need to reply for me to know that he was probably stewing at being treated like a child, no matter how much he sometimes acted like one. But I supposed it couldn't be helped. I was sure he had to grow up quickly, for him to be that mature at his age and whenever that occurred, the immatureness was worse when it decided to come out.

"Hey, wait for me," he suddenly called. I kept walking, intent on finding the bird, a smile on my face as I heard him slip in the slime. There were some things that he really should have trusted me in or at least listened to reason.

He trailed after me afterwards, as I searched for the Southbird, listening to the call. Oddly enough, even though I heard many sounds that told me that they were there, I didn't see any of the birds. Before long, another horde of bugs attacked us. I grabbed the first few with my devil's fruit ability, knocking them out until Zoro rushed in, ready to slash. He shot a glance at me before he attacked, as if making sure I was still there. To my surprise, he hit the beetle on the head with the flat of his blade, knocking it out. A couple more rushed forward with the same result. One didn't go out with one hit, just quavered before the swordsman.

"There is no end to this," he grumbled loudly, then shouted. "Why are you beetles fighting me? Getting in my way! You actually think you can win? Huh?" I looked off into the forest.

"Just now, I heard a chirping sound," I commented. He ignored me, still berating the bugs. I found it amusing how he was now doing what I told him to do in not killing the bugs when he had told me not to order him around about it. I rushed off to the sound of the noise as he followed, only to find Nami, Sanji and Usopp sitting on the ground, panting for air.

"Did you find one?" I asked them. Nami shook her head before suddenly screaming as another giant centipede ran past her. To my surprise, the cook also jerked back in fear. Zoro rushed forward, leaving the beetles behind, picked it up and threw it into the surrounding jungle, grumbling about bugs before he grinned at Sanji.

"What's wrong, cook, you scared of a little bug," he mocked. Sanji glared at him, standing up, his breath miraculously back in an instant.

"Shut up, you shitty Marimo," he shot back. Zoro just continued to grin, looking happier now that he had something against the cook.

Sanji seemed on the edge of replying when Luffy and Chopper burst into the clearing, stopping quickly when they saw us. A hoard of mantis sprang after them, looking confident, brandishing their front legs like blades. Luffy waved at us, seeming to ignore the bugs behind him. Zoro darted over and slashed the mantis in half before they could attack Luffy and Chopper. Luffy started laughing.

"Guess we should have gone with Zoro," he commented. Nami suddenly looked annoyed and hit him over the head.

"Idiot!" she screamed at him. "How could you bring those bugs over here?" Chopper cowered at her anger, fearing that he would be hit too. Nami ignore him however, focusing on Luffy and Zoro as she hit Zoro over the head as well. "And what are you doing, cutting them up like that so I have to look at them?" I hid my laugh quickly, knowing it wouldn't help in the situation.

.

I sat down, watching the rest of the crew helping Cricket and his crew re-building the Going Merry. Nami sat next to me, an unfolded map of Jaya on her lap, her eyes scanning it quickly. I had been willing to help rebuild the ship, knowing that it was a necessary task to get to the potential Poneglyph but the cook had insisted that we just sit down. A fight between him and Zoro had resulted. I couldn't help but wonder if Zoro was simply grumpy because Luffy had told him he could take care of it by himself and return by morning.

Norland's log lay on my lap but my attention kept slipping away from it, even if I was looking for any clues in his journal for a poneglyph in the civilization. Instead, my eyes were following the swordsman, interested in his progress. I found it odd that he wasn't complaining about having to do the work. It was obvious that the only person's orders he followed without question was Luffy's. He didn't seem to respect Usopp or Sanji enough to follow their orders but yet there he was, working diligently. I found myself wondering more about him, like an ancient ruin that was before me, the history unknown.

I forced my focus down to the log, scanning the words but finding that they weren't sticking at all. My gaze went back up, once again following the swordsman. There was no trace of his earlier immaturity in him now, just pure focus as he worked on the ship. Usopp came over to him after a while, yelling at him about something. His immaturity flared back up then as he snapped something back. Then it was gone once again as he got back to work.

"What's so interesting?" Nami suddenly asked, her gaze lifting from her map. I hid my curiosity with a smile.

"I was simply thinking of what something meant," I replied. "It's nothing to be worried about,"

"Oh," she said, sounding a little disappointed. I wondered what she had been hoping the answer was. My gaze went to the map she was holding, noticing how similar the form of it was to a skull with a large chunk missing out of it, almost half of its form. Perhaps when Norland was in the area, it was actually in the form of the skull. It was the only think I could think of that made any sense at all. My mind locked onto that fact, hoping desperately that somehow it was true


	3. Why Must Caring Come When Its Not Needed

Rejecting Freedom

Chapter 3

Why Must Caring Come When It's Not Needed?

The Going Merry was repaired by the middle of the night, at least on the outside, the boys working hard to insure everything was perfect. Usopp was a stickler about that one fact, his attachment to the ship obvious. I couldn't help but to wonder why he was so attached when he was not captain. It was something I would have to question him about later. No doubt it had something to do with his past, something that I had failed to uncover, as of yet.

The ship now looked quiet odd, so different from its normal form. The costume masked its identity well, but unfortunately looked like a chicken or perhaps a turkey. I smiled at the ship's changes, walking on board to stroke the feathers on the Going Merry's figurehead with a touch of amusement. I had no doubt in my mind that the captain would enjoy the changes, although the new decorations took up some of his precious perch.

Footsteps sounded behind me which I recognized to be Sanji's clipped style of walking. I turned around swiftly, a smile coming to my face, wondering what he wanted. His walk was quick now, making me think it wasn't due to his usual commitment of courting Nami and I. I decided to start the conversation, knowing that it would make him happy.

"You rebuilt the ship well, Mr. Cook," I told him. Hearts replaced his eyes as he swayed back at forth at my complement, as excepted. The man was quickly pleased when it came from a woman, quite unlike his reaction when the swordsman talked to him. Even so, it was obvious that the men were friends, although it was always a difficult task when it involved teenage boys, since they usually showed their affection for one another through fighting.

"Thank you, Robin-swaaaannnn," he said before his face abruptly became serious. "Chopper needs help fixing the inside of the ship to stabilize it. Everyone else is busy," I supposed he wished for me to help, which was no trouble in the least. I always seemed to enjoy my conversations with the doctor.

"Don't worry about it. I'd be delighted to help," I purred, interrupting him before he could ask. The words didn't have the slightest hint of a lie in them, which was odd. Typically upon joining a crew, I would balk at the thought of spending time with any of the disgusting men that I seemed to attract, Crocodile being one of them,

"Your kindness makes me fall in love with you over again," Sanji bubbled, his seriousness melting away quickly, making me wonder if it had been there at all. I brushed by him slowly, intent on finding the little doctor below deck, wondering where he was. It was probably something I should have asked before leaving. Nonetheless, I found him quickly, hammering on the inside of the ship, wood propped up beside him, in his human form.

"Would you like some help?" I inquired, making him drop the wood in surprise and almost the hammer as well. "Deux fleur," I recited, crossing my arms in front of my chest quickly, catching the wood before it could fall on the doctor's foot or any other part of his body. It would seem that he still didn't pay attention to his surroundings very well when absorbed in his work. It was refreshing to someone's work ethic that was so good, even so.

Emotions flickered through his face in the blink of an eye. After a while he settled on doing nothing, squirming around, and redness spreading across his cheeks, no doubt embarrassed that I had been able to surprise him so. I moved the hands so that they tossed the wood back up to him, which he caught uncertainly.

"Mr. Cook thought that you might appreciate some help," I told him, my tone as cheery as could be in the hopes to lessen his uncomfortableness. He sent me an uncertain smile.

"I'm okay without it," he told me proudly, the redness continuing to spread across his cheeks. He was quite stubborn when it came to getting help or a complement. I wondered if there was some way to help him learn to control his emotions, although if there was I was certain someone would have found it by now.

"It will go faster if we work together," I told him chidingly and used the hands to pin the wood against the wall in its position so he could hammer it into the wall. He sent me another uncertain glance before he began to work, seemingly accepting of my answer.

"Have you written to your Doctorine lately?" I told him, curiosity tingeing my tone as I started a conversation. He slumped slightly, guilt filling his body as he paused in placing a nail against the wood. His face was probably on the edge of tears.

"I didn't get her reply from my last letter yet," he told me mournfully, not turning around. A smile crossed my face, at his assumption that he couldn't write until he received her letter. "I hope she's okay,"

"I'm sure it's on its way. It is quite difficult to receive mail in Grand Line in a timely matter, especially if you are on a moving ship," I advised, knowing such things from experience. There had been several times that I had sent information to Crocodile from another island and return before it arrived. To prevent that, he had developed the concept of the otter and vulture, to speed up the process. "It wouldn't hurt to write her a new one, even if you haven't received her reply yet. She'll be delighted to hear from you either way,"

A smile spread across his face at that. "Do you really think so?" he asked, as excited as a kid in a candy shop. It was fascinating to me that someone could possibly be so excited over something I thought to be common sense.

"Of course, it's always nice to hear from someone you haven't seen in a long time," I told him, not that I would know from experience. When I had heard from someone I hadn't seen for a while it simply meant that I needed to escape the area as soon as I could.

"Okay," he bubbled. "You should write one with me!" My smile almost slipped at that. I managed to keep it on however, not wanting to make him feel bad for bringing up an unpleasant subject to me.

"I don't have anyone to write to," I replied falsely happily, hiding my discomfort as I always did. "Anyone who I could is on the ship," His face fell slightly before it returned to the happy face.

"You should write to everyone on the ship and mail it to us!" he suggested. I decided to entertain his idea, although I didn't think it would happen. It would make me personal with the crew, making me closer to them and I wouldn't dare do such a thing. It would already be rather painful to leave this little happy crew without getting more attached than I already was. I was already having a difficult time not adjusting to them and simply forgetting about the misfortunes I brought with me, to just live ignorantly as one of them.

"Will you reply to me if I do?" I asked him. He nodded in excitement, finally placing the nail in the wall and hammering the wood down. My eyes followed it. In some ways, I wished I could write letters to the crew, to be more open than I ever was with them. But it brought too many dangers with it.

"I'll make everyone reply," he told me. "Even Zoro or I'll force him to," His face suddenly became serious as he began to act tough, acting out in his head forcing the swordsman into writing. I laughed softly, pulling up a nearby chair and sitting down, my hand on my chin. That would be quite the sight to see. Somehow I didn't doubt that he would be able to do such a thing. The swordsman had a rough exterior but simply by watching how he interacted with the crew showed me that he was a softie inside.

"I suppose I'll have to write them soon so you can receive it and reply," I told him, with the hopes he would forget such things quickly if I told him that. He would trust me, I knew, to keep my word and to write. "You have such good ideas,"

He began to squirm back and forth, blushing. "Don't think something like that will make me happy. It won't make me happy at all, you asshole," he muttered at me. It was quite interesting to see that in his human form but it was still cute, making him seem more like a giant teddy bear more than anything else. But then again, I doubted he was capable of doing anything that was not cute in some way.

We moved onto the next plank of wood as he began to make it part of the wall as well. "Have you ever written to someone before?" he suddenly asked me. It caught me by surprise ever so slightly but I managed to keep my smile on. Where had that came from?

"Not in a casual way," I replied, not bothering to try and hide the fact that I hadn't. My next words were slightly dangerous but would be able to be worked around even so. "Perhaps you'll have to help me learn how to write such a letter,"

He turned around with a grin on his face. "Really?" he asked happily.

"Of course, Mr. Reindeer," I told him calmly. He turned back to the job at hand, probably hiding a blush of some sort. I was certain he would forget this conversation quickly afterwards and if he didn't the letter would never be sent. No trace of me could be left when I went, not even a letter.

"Oi, Chopper, are you done yet?" Zoro's voice drawled from behind us. My gaze turned to that particular direction, only to see the swordsman walk out from behind the doorframe, looking quite relaxed. Upon seeing me, however, he stiffened, looking like he was about to walk away. It was an odd reaction for him for he would usually keep me in his sights at all time, not get ready to walk away at the sight of me.

My gaze left him and went to the doctor, who was hurriedly nailing in the last piece of wood, looking like he thought the swordsman was going to yell at him for not being done yet, a fear that was probably completely useless. My gaze went back to the swordsman. "We're just finishing up, Mr. Swordsman," I told him kindly. His eyes narrowed, still contrasting with the rest of his body language which said he wanted to leave, not that he was annoyed with me. Perhaps he was fighting to deal with the shame he had received earlier when we were searching for the South bird.

Before he could snap at me, however, the cook walked up behind him, a cigarette in his mouth and a plate in his hand. He brushed by Zoro without a care in the world, not even seeming to notice the swordsman, eyes locked on me. The swordsman didn't seem to like being ignored, his scowl turning from me to Sanji.

"I brought you your evening snack, Robin-chan," Sanji told me, face staying serious for once as he handed it to me, manners evident, as if he was putting up a front for the sake of the swordsman. Upon the plate, there was a cup of steaming coffee and some type of cake. Even if I wasn't very hungry it looked delicious.

"Thank you very much, Mr. Cook," I replied, a genuine smile on my lips. He lost his composure in that instant, as usual, cheeks growing red and eyes becoming hearts. I wondered if the swordsman had truly been the cause of him keeping it until that point or maybe it had been the presence of Chopper.

"Do you love me now?" he inquired, doing his noodle dance. My smile widened, a laugh on my lips. It was amazing to me how someone could be turned down so much but yet be so cheerful. When he finally found a woman who loved him, she would be quite lucky. Perhaps if I wasn't so much older and didn't carry such a burden with my presence I would have considered it. Zoro interrupted before I could turn him down yet again.

"Why weren't you helping build the ship instead of cooking, you stupid Ero-cook?" Zoro demanded, although it was obvious his whole heart wasn't in it. Sanji stiffened, the hearts disappearing in an instant as he scowled at the swordsman.

"You looking for a fight, Marimo-head?" Sanji replied. Zoro glared at him, drawing out one of his katana without replying and leaping at the cook. Within seconds, they were fighting. I simply watched, drinking my coffee silently, not finding a need to interrupt as Nami often did. Teenagers would be teenagers and all the intervention in the world wouldn't make teenage boys from play-fighting constantly. Chopper set down the hammer on the table next to me, becoming his normal form and jumping on my lap, eying my cake, ignoring the boys since I was so obviously taking no interest in it.

"Can I have some cake, Robin?" he asked me, excited. I watched the boys for a second more before processing his request. It did look very good but I wasn't that hungry.

I didn't reply, just slid the plate and the fork towards him. While my hand was in the area, I took the chance to turn up the lamp on the table as well, comfortable enough that I decided to wait there until I was tired enough for sleep. There was no sense in moving when I would be going to sleep so soon.

My hand went to my nearest pocket, where I had placed Norland's journal and pulled it out, starting to read it as I set my cup of coffee on the table. There had to be some more clues about the fate of the civilization, somewhere within its pages. I would need to give the journal back to Norland before we left so this would probably be my last search. A few minutes later, my coffee was as empty as my cake plate. The boys were still fighting, neither seeming to win while Chopper watched from my lap, stars in his eyes from admiration.

"What the hell are you two idiots doing?" I suddenly heard Nami shout seconds before two loud _thumps_ echoed throughout the air. My gaze didn't turn from the words, my attention caught by a vivid description of the golden bell.

_It sounded like the most beautiful music, its ring heard throughout the entire island. Nothing made it seem unlike any other bell except for the stone that it sat upon. I was told that the stone was the one most important part of the bell, the one thing that they had to protect. _

I frowned at the passage, ignoring Nami's berating of the boys. The one thing they had to protect? My gaze went to the words afterwards, scanning for any hint that it was about their history but found none. However, if the people had wanted to protect such a stone no matter what, it made it sound much like a poneglyph. Every single one that I had discovered had been protected by people, always hidden by important people who would do anything to keep it secret. Could there be a poneglyph on this bell, making up a portion of it? I kept the thought in mind, hoping it to be a yes.

.

We left shortly after Luffy returned, the crew in a fluster to ready the ship since our captain had been slightly late to return, a bug in his hand. Upon closer observation it was marked as a Heracles beetle, and the captain was quite proud of his new pet, no doubt most impressed by the bug's namesake. That was until he was beaten by the navigator for bringing it close to her or for that matter, considering taking it on our adventures with him. I didn't think it mattered all that much, for the bug would probably die within a few days. So he had offered to give to the two brothers for their help. Unfortunately, the bug was consumed by the South bird before he could give it to the brothers, making the captain decide the bird would be good for dinner. He was hit quite soundly by Nami for that request.

The ship was currently on its way to where the knock-up stream was to appear, the south bird pointing the direction for us. I sat upon the deck, reading _The Meaning of Dreams_, trying not to think of the potential poneglyph in Sky Island. I didn't want to raise my hopes at a new poneglyph, only for my hopes to be shattered upon reaching the clouds. They had been shattered before and it hadn't been the most pleasant feeling in the world.

Sanji was below deck, steering the ship while Nami sat with him, commanding him where to go. Zoro was fast asleep on deck, one hand on his katana. Usopp, Chopper and Luffy were playing with the South bird. The captain would pull its head away from the South, directing its gaze elsewhere and then release it. The fact that the bird would always jerk back to the south seemed to provide endless entertainment for him and his cohorts for they always keeled over in laughter when it occurred, so easily entertained by a simple thing.

My focus kept slipping from the pages, distracted by my impatience, wishing the ship would hurry up. Of course, this island wouldn't be reached simply by my impatience but even so, it was getting on my nerves, although I'm sure it didn't show to the rest of the crew. I sighed and set down my book, staring at the captain and his faction on deck. They seemed to be having so much more fun. I considered joining them with the knowledge that time seemed to go faster when one was having fun. But I wasn't really one to be so easily entertained; however, it could be fun to distract them as I did when I first came on board.

Within seconds, hands sprouted out of the deck, slapping away Luffy's hands right before he touched the South bird. Usopp jumped slightly in surprise, Chopper mimicking his actions, flustered. The captain started to laugh, his head turning over to look at me where I sat on my deck chair, watching them and with amusement. His hand stretched to grab the rail above me as he propelled himself right next to my chair, not one to walk over when it was obviously more fun to act like a rubber band.

"Do you know what type of island Sky Island is?" he inquired, excitement in his eyes. I blinked in surprise at such a simple question, although it was one he seemed to ask frequently.

"Since Jaya is a summer island I think it is summer. It will be nice to have the heat, don't you think?" I told him. He sat down on deck like a little kid waiting for story time.

"Really?" he asked, eyes shining. "We should build a giant sand castle!" His imagination was incredible although I knew he would do such a thing without a second thought. I also had no doubt that if he did build such a sandcastle, it would be the best one I had ever seen.

"I don't know if there will be any sand to make one with, Mr. Captain," I informed him. If the island was truly made of nothing but clouds, there would be no sand. There could possibly be water, however. In some ways, I hoped that there was. Sailing on a ship would be quite odd without the salty breeze that usually blew. It didn't make his spirits fall in the least.

"Then we'll build one with something up there," he told me, his voice assured of his opinion. I wondered if there was ever a time when the man wasn't confident in his ideas. I didn't think there was.

"Of course," I replied. "I find it a pity we were unable to build one while in Alabasta," While I was still speaking, his eyes fell upon Sanji coming up on deck. The poor cook was assaulted a moment later as the captain began to demand food, leaving our conversation hanging as it so often did. My gaze went to Chopper and Usopp, who had recovered from the shock, Usopp telling Chopper some sort of story, the reindeer's eyes stars in complete and total wonder.

I stood up and went over to the cook, interested on if we were on course. "Is Ms. Navigator all set?" I asked. Luffy looked at the two of us, caught the subject of the conversation, decided it was no fun and bounded back over to Chopper and Usopp. Sanji reacted normally, his attitude the slightest bit serious as he swayed back and forth.

"Of course, Robin-chan," he cried. The door opened up behind him, Nami walking on deck, peeling an orange that lay in her hands. She smiled brightly at the sight of me, probably still happy to see another girl on board.

"Is everything in order for the journey?" I inquired calmly. She passed the orange peel to Sanji as if he was her personal servant.

"Throw that away," she ordered him calmly. He rushed off to obey, babbling his normal nonsense as he left. "We're sailing right for where the knock-up stream is supposed to occur. With these winds we might even be there a little early,"

"That's good to know," I commented to her with a smile. "But expected from a good navigator," She blushed slightly at the comment, changing the subject quickly.

"How many islands have you been to, Robin?" she inquired, no doubt wanting to know for her dream world map. My lips pursed together slightly as I thought. But it wasn't something I had often keep track of, too busy with escaping or looking for a poneglyph to care.

"I haven't quite kept count, Ms. Navigator," I said truthfully. "I all I know is I have yet to be anywhere but West Blue and the Grand Line," She frowned, probably disappointed by my lack of information.

"Do you know what gate you passed through to get to the Grand Line?" she inquired, a tinge of desperation in her eyes. I shook my head, wishing I could help.

"I'm afraid not," I replied. "I wasn't exactly welcome on the ship I came in on. It was one of the West Blue gates," That wasn't entirely true either. I was a stowaway on the ship, accidently boarding when I was running from the Marines chasing me. I didn't even realize that I had entered the Grand Line until the pirates found me. I shook away the memories quickly.

"Hmmm," was all she said. "Do you happen to have any maps with you?" I shook my head once again, a sad smile on my lips.

"Any that I had were lost long ago," I murmured. She sighed. "I'm sorry I couldn't be of any help," Her smile came back.

"Its fine," she told me, her gaze going to where the three boys were playing with the South bird. Her eyes narrowed. "Excuse me, Ms. Robin," she said before stalking over there and hitting the captain on the head. "Stop playing with the bird, Luffy! We need it to get to Sky Island," she yelled. Luffy jumped, starting to whine.

I watched her with a smile before going back and sitting on my chair, not to read but rather to observe the actions of the crew. I found that people's actions often came from what their past had been and it was always interesting to see how they had resulted. Nami's obsession with money and keeping everyone in line was only one example. From what she had told me, these traits probably resulted from her guardian, Belmeir who had been a Marine and the fact that money had always been a problem in her life. I was certain her upbringing had been strict and so she reflected it on everyone else, acting like the only mother she knew.

As I sat back down, my eyes swept the entire deck, looking at everything around me. Zoro caught my eyes, anything but asleep at the moment, both eyes open as he stared at me in suspicion. I sent a smile his way, tilting my head ever so slightly. He replied with a glare before shutting both eyes in a rather grumpy way. Apparently he didn't enjoy that fact that I noticed him looking in the least, somehow still bitter about something or another.

.

My gaze went to the enormous black cloud above the ship, that we were about to enter as we had just caught the knock-up stream, escaping pursuers who had suddenly appeared with new bounties. It was quite odd to be standing on the walls of the galley, the ship's deck sideways. The captain was extremely excited, his eyes gleaming with it as his mood spread to the rest of the crew. The cloud drew nearer and nearer, the wind that was propelling the ship up roaring around us, almost making Luffy's shout of excitement silent. It was still audible, however.

And then we were in the cloud, fog surrounding the ship. Suddenly the air went out of my lungs, the air supply around us quickly growing short. I started to gasp for air, the rest of the crew doing the same, some on the deck panting, others leaning over. We had entered an area of low oxygen or perhaps our fast rising had pressed all the oxygen down to the decks and away from our lungs. When it was over, I was able to stand still, sweat beading up slightly at the effort, my balance almost going when the ship suddenly became upright. My eyes were glued to the ship's floor, still trying to catch my breath. The captain was the first to recover and gain a normal breathing pattern as he looked up.

"Hey, look you guys! Outside the ship!" he shouted. I took a deep breath and raised my head to look at my surroundings. The sun was pounding down upon us, clouds surrounding us, making up the sea and the sky. I felt a true smile come to my face, childish glee rising up. The whole thing looked like a dream, pleasant and free, something my life had very rarely been. The rest of the crew began a conversation. I didn't hear their words, too absorbed in the beauty around us.

Nami walked to me after a while, forcing me into the conversation. "In other words, this is the 'sea of the sky'." She commented before speaking directly to me, as if expecting me to know the answer to her dilemma. "But, look, the log pose is still pointing up," She pointed to the log pose on her wrist. I was slightly startled, still trying to catch the theme of the conversation, straining to think of an answer, although I doubted any of the crew noticed.

"Maybe this is only the middle part of the millennium cumulonimbus," I told her as swiftly as I could. Chopper stared up at me, eyes slightly wide. I had missed him walking over to me somehow.

"We need to go higher? How?" she inquired. I frowned, not quite sure. But if the log pose was pointing up, there had to be a way to get to the true part of the island.

"I have no idea," I replied truthfully, still struggling to think. Thankfully, their attentions went away from me before my difficulty was noticed and to the swordsman and the cook who were once again on the edge of conflict. Nami's hand tightened into a fist as she got ready to beat them into peace. But there was no need. The cook's attention was jerked away from the swordsman because of Usopp, who was getting ready to swim in the clouds. He rushed to the area, telling the sniper it was a bad idea, seconds before Usopp dived into the clouds.

I walked over to the side where he had jumped off, slightly concerned about the sniper. It wasn't very wise of him to jump into a place he didn't know about. In my experience, when you simply jumped into a situation, it never turned out good. It was much wiser to think about what you were about to do first.

"He's…still not back," the cook commented after a few moment, a slight worry in his tone, no doubt expecting to see the sniper at least coming up for air by now. I frowned, trying to think of what could have been taking the sniper so long. If he had been attacked by something, the clouds would have been turning red without a doubt. I wondered if he had found something at the bottom of the clouds, like you would with a seafloor. But then again, would clouds have a seafloor? After all, we had burst through the bottom of the clouds without damage. But if there wasn't a seafloor… wouldn't he just fall from the sky.

"Just a thought, but is there really a seafloor?" I inquired, a touch of panic in my tone along with some worry, although I tried to not let it show. It surprised even me that I was worried about the sniper, that I was that attached to the crew enough to care. I also dreaded the feeling, knowing I was getting too attached if I was worried now.

The rest of the crew burst into chaos at my question. "Did that idiot fall off the cloud?" Zoro exclaimed. Luffy acted quickly, extending his arm to catch Usopp, shouting his name. My worry increased with the crew, hoping the sniper was okay, urging me to act. The ship would be much to quiet without his far-fetched stories.

"Extend your arm as far as you can," I shouted at Luffy, leaning over the deck in worry. Luffy looked strained, the concern creasing his face. I wondered if the strain resulted from his worry about his crewmember or if he was already at his stretching limit.

"But I can't see if I only rely on my touch," he protested. I knew it wouldn't be a problem. My eyes scanned the surface of the clouds.

"Don't worry, I'll handle it," I told him quickly. "Ojos fleur," I recited, crossing my arms across my chest as I closed my eyes, focusing on where the eyes should appear. My sight returned, even though my eyes were still closed, my vision coming through the eyes that were on Luffy's extended arm. The end of the clouds came into sight. I quickly let my eyes scan the sky below them.

I caught sight of the sniper in an instant, falling to the ground, terror on his face. "There he is," I exclaimed. I heard Luffy shift beside me.

"Where?" Luffy asked, confusion in his voice. I ignored him, focused on how to pull up the sniper. There had to be a practical way to do it.

"Seis fleur," Six arms branched off from Luffy's arm, reaching through the sky to wrap around Usopp's body. The sniper continued to scream in terror, the feeling of falling probably not yet leaving. My eyes opened in relief, no longer needed my eyes to insure the sniper was still there, able to feel his skin through the arms that held him instead. "Ok, pull him up," I ordered Luffy.

My gaze went to the captain as he began to make sounds of pain, effort in his face as he tried to pull up the sniper. "Luffy! You can do it," Nami encouraged him, knowing that if the captain was unable to pull up the sniper; he could very well be doomed. Before I could worry about if the captain was capable of accomplishing the task, the sniper's body popped out of the clouds. "You did it. You pulled…" Nami started in excitement before she was cut off as several monsters followed after the sniper.

I ignored the rest of the crew's exclamations, my gaze on the sea monsters, looking for any different features they might have from the sea monsters in the blue sea from their life in the cloud sea. They could really live in the sky without adapting in some way. Zoro leaped into action quickly, slashing at the nearest tentacle. His sword only touched the tentacle when it exploded with a loud _pop_. I stared at the octopus as it sank back into the clouds.

How interesting, I thought to myself. The octopus would seem to be made mostly of air, the skin stretched around it like a balloon. But it made quite a bit of sense; after all, if it weighed as much as a normal octopus it would surely fall from the clouds into the blue sea. My gaze was jerked way from the clouds as I heard Usopp begin to scream, pulling out some sort of fish from his pants, sympathy washing over me. First he almost fell thousands of feet to his death, a monster fish had followed him up and then he had a fish in his pants.

"Such a tough day for him," I said sympathetically before walking over to take the fish from him or to more precisely catch the fish as it squirmed away from him. It wiggled in my hands, not struggling for breath like a normal fish. I recognized it from Norland's journal. My mood abruptly brightened. If the fish was up here, something that had been described perfectly, perhaps that meant everything else in his journal was up here in Sky Island, including the Golden Bell and possibly…a poneglyph. I smiled to myself before explaining about the fish to the rest of the crew, my heart rising up in my chest with happiness.

My explanation was cut short as the little doctor noticed something off board. My gaze went to where he was looking but I didn't see anything like what he was describing. Then a masked figure appeared, seemingly running upon the clouds. I wondered if he was truly running on the clouds or if there was some trick or another behind it. Luffy, Sanji and Zoro all rushed to defend the ship, something that should have been quite the easy task as they leaped into battle. But the assailant threw all three of them off in an instant, discarding them like I thought Crocodile would have done, when I first met them.

My hand crossed over my chest in an instant, ready to use my devil's fruit ability to attempt to defend the ship. I would have preferred not to get involved in the conflict but this situation seemed to call for it as no one else on the ship seemed prepared for the man's next attack. But I couldn't let him attack us and win, not knowing his intention. My mind recoiled from the memory of the sensation of splintering bones, the realization of just how easy it was to kill someone as I prepared to make this man's death just another memory as well.

I soon found it not necessary as a man appeared from the sky, fending off the masked man before landing on deck. He promptly introduced himself as the knight of the sky, which perked my interest ever so slightly. Was there something that made the sky dangerous enough that there was someone to protect it? Nami stared at the man in surprise.

"What's going on? Who was that guy?" she asked the sky knight, planning on extracting all the information about the sky before I could. Before he could answer, she turned her temper on the three boys sitting on deck, hiding their shame from their defeat. "Also, you three are so useless! Three on one and you still lost!" She didn't scold them for long, her attention quickly returning to the sky knight. I figured it was all information I could get from her later so I allowed my attention to rest on the men on deck.

"Tsk, that was…embarrassing," Sanji muttered, in a tone I probably wasn't supposed to hear. Luffy panted on deck, his tongue out like a dog.

"For some reason my body can't move very well," Luffy complained. Zoro said nothing, just stared at the deck, seemingly in thought. I thought I should provide some knowledge to help them with their predicament.

"That's because the oxygen is scarce here," I told them before walking over to sit near the ship's rail, my gaze on the clouds. Although it wouldn't seem like it to the others, most of my attention was on the conversation on board. Before long, however, my attention drifted off their conversations as they began to talk of useless information. This was certainly an odd island, quite different from any I had been to as of yet. It fit quite well with the extremely odd crew that I was currently travelling with. The thought made me laugh slightly, my gaze turning to said crew with amusement.

_**A/N:**_ I hope everyone liked the chapter! Next update will be two weeks from now on Friday, at the latest. Oh, and **Happy Holidays**!


	4. I Promise, I Feel Nothing At All

_A/N:_ As promised, here's the next chapter. Thank you to everyone who reviewed. I really appreciate it! I hope everyone enjoys the chapter!

Disclaimer: I do not own One Piece

Rejecting Freedom

Chapter 4

I Promise, I Feel Nothing At All

I watched the crewmembers run onto what I assumed to be the beach of the island with a touch of amusement, glad that we had discovered a way to the higher portion of the island quickly. There were many more signs of inhabitation in this level of the island and it was a relief to know that the log pose was no longer pointing up. If I were to find a poneglyph, it would be it this place. The odd thing was that the civilization didn't seem ancient in any way, so far. But there was a high probability that any ancient civilizations were deeper in the island.

One by one, the crewmembers left the ship with a touch of excitement until only Nami, Zoro and myself were left on deck. I decided to wait for the navigator to leave before I left the ship, knowing that she would probably be the first to leave. I wasn't about to let such a good chance to try and earn the swordsman's trust slip through my fingers, even if it was just to comment something small.

Something on shore caught my attention, a sign with a name on it. I spoke without thinking. "Hey, isn't Skypiea…" I trailed off, looking at Nami, who was smiling, the old map in her hands.

"Yup," she replied. "It's the same as the name on the map that Luffy found. That 200 year-old galleon that fell on us really did come here. At that time, I didn't really think a world in the sky really existed but…" Her attention was caught by the clouds surrounding the ship and she quickly jumped off with excitement before she began to laugh. "Look! After experiencing it first hand, there's no doubt about its existence,"

She then began to walk away, intent on joining the rest of the crew on the land. I turned my attention to the swordsman sitting on the ship, as if he was intent on staying and guarding it. For a moment I wondered if he was intending on doing so. I walked up the stairs until I was a few feet away, watching Nami wade to the shore. "What about you?" I asked.

He seemed slightly surprised that I was talking to him or perhaps that was a false interpretation on my part. "Ah, I'll go too," he replied.

The view took up my attention as I thought of something else to say. "I never thought that navigating and landing could be adventurous, too," I commented to him, my focus still on the navigator. Before this, I had never been on a ship in which the navigator had saved the entire crew with their skills. They had simply directed where the ship was to go and read the maps. But this had been quite different, much more exciting. Not that I was about to enter the career of a navigator just because it might be more fun; history was always much more interesting, in my eyes.

The swordsman didn't reply just gave me an unreadable glance, as if unsure as what I was doing. I was fine with it. It wouldn't hurt to keep him guessing about my intentions just this once. In a way, he was still being manipulated, however, although I doubted he would find out such a thing. Let him just mull over it and try and decide why I was providing him with my small talk thoughts for the moment.

Without another word, I hoisted myself over the rail and into the cloud, surprised at how fluffy it was. It felt quite good to step in it without shoes, similar to the feeling of walking alongside the shore, water lapping at your feet but different, mistier and sticky. I wondered if I would be able to go in deeper waters, per say, in this land without sinking. It would be quite interesting if I could but it wasn't a theory I was about to try. I had fallen overboard once and had almost drowned until a Marine had saved me, but only for my bounty. It wasn't an experience I was about to try to have again anytime soon, knowing that the chances were low that someone cared enough to save me.

I heard the swordsman jump down behind me, grumbling about the clouds. I hid a smile and kept walking, enjoying every minute of the feeling of the clouds. The rest of the crew was busy checking out a cabana of some sorts on the land, while the captain was trying to eat some type of fruit he had found. I watched them at their activities for a moment before a soft sound caught my attention, sounding like some sort of animal.

My gaze went to the beach, only to see what appeared to be a fox walking towards the crew, approaching the swordsman. Moments later, the cook spotted a figure on a nearby hill, another soft sound rising from it. The crew began to panic until the cook noticed it was a woman. She noticed us quickly and began to walk towards us. My interest was quickly caught by it, knowing that she might know where an ancient civilization was at.

…

I listened to the conversation carefully, sitting quite comfortably on the couch that was supposedly made of clouds, arms crossed. We were in the woman who we had met on the beach's house, or rather Conis's house. The dials were interesting although how they worked perked my interest. How could they possibly move the wave by recording noises?

"If this is what a dial is, I don't understand how it can make the waver move," I commented. The attention in the room flitted to me before going back to Conis, the swordsman among them, although his attention stayed on me for a moment longer. Seconds afterwards, he was shifting position as if looking at me had disturbed his comfort. Then I realized that he must have noticed that my arms had been crossed, just like his had been and quickly changed, as if he couldn't possibly deal with the fact we were similar in any way. The thought made me smile and stare at him in amusement. For a moment, I considered changing my position to match his, simply to annoy him but decided against it, thinking this was not the best time to be mocking him.

My attention turned back to where the Skypiea native was explaining how the dials worked, catching wind to make it move. It was a relatively simple concept if useful. She continued to explain dials, surprising even me with the variety of them. I found the conversation extremely interesting, especially when you considered how different lifestyles were separated by a few thousand feet. Every now and then a sound would come from the kitchen, signaling Sanji's presence but when the conversation was done, we simply waited.

Within a few minutes, the food was ready. Everyone walked to the table, with the exception of Zoro, who had fallen asleep on the couch, his arms once again crossed. My gaze fell on him with some amusement before I stopped my approach to the table. It would probably be best to wake him up before the cook noticed him asleep there.

"Mr. Swordsman," I murmured. His eyes snapped open in an instant, looking quite grumpy. "It's time for lunch," I expected his gaze to be that of a glare in an instant but instead he stared at me calmly and rose.

"Thanks," he muttered. I was only able to stare at him in surprise as he brushed by me, no hostility at all in his actions. I was able to recover quickly, however, hoping that my surprise hadn't been noticed as I walked to the table, a calm smile on my face.

…

My gaze fell upon the altar we were on noticing the age of it. I couldn't help but to wonder if it was made of stone. The trees were truly odd in this place, out of place in the sky. How could they possibly grow from the clouds? Unless…we were no longer surrounded by clouds at all but by earth, possibly even the missing part of Jaya.

My attention was soon caught by the swordsman, who was currently planning on a way to get to the land around us. The only hitch in his plan was the water and sky sharks surrounding us. But if he could find a way to get to the land that wouldn't get me killed in the process, I would be quite interested in joining him, although I wasn't quite sure of whether it would be a good idea to go with him alone.

The swordsman suddenly pointed out a hanging vine. "Looks like we can use that vine," he suggested. I found it interesting that he used 'we' in the situation when currently he was the only one going. It would seem he already assumed someone would be going with him. But the vine was an interesting idea, if it hung high enough that it would be safe to swing across, with it being long enough.

"Ah, that's not a bad idea," I told him, joining the conversation. "Would you mind if I joined you?" The question truly wasn't necessary but I figured it would help ease his mind, make him think he was in control of the situation. Either way, I would be going, with him or without him. But if he did decline, I was curious as to how he was going to get said vine down.

"Eh?" he asked, as if he was surprised I wished to go, which was rather odd after his usage of 'we'. It made me wonder who he had assumed was going to go with him, if not me. "Ok, but don't get in my way!" he chided. I smiled. I would be certain not to do so, not that I planned on staying with him throughout the process. The second I found a trace of history, I would care less of his whereabouts or what he was doing. It may have been a cruel thought, considering he could very well get lost but I was happy that I could accomplish that much anyways. It showed that perhaps I wasn't as terribly attached to the entire crew as I thought I was.

Chopper freaked out at my comment, no doubt concerned that he wouldn't be safe if the two people with bounties with him would be leaving. "Wait, Robin's going too?" he asked, his voice frantic. Nami also seemed concerned.

"Take a look around!" she shouted down at me, as if surprised I wanted to do such a thing. I was almost surprised that she didn't want to do the same. I quickly decided that she should come with us, if only so I wouldn't be alone with Zoro. Her fear of crossing the water could be quickly overcome with a few well-placed comments.

"This altar is at least a thousand years old," I explained. "Seeing such historical remains, makes me feel quite excited," I touched the stone happily and glanced at her, a slight smile on my face. "Plus, if we find some gems or treasures, we can use them to repair the ship,"

That sealed her fate, her face abruptly excited. "I'm going, too," she shouted down to me. I smiled as my gaze once again touched the ancient stone. I heard her and Chopper arguing about something as I read the stone in front of me. My attention went back to the vine.

"Deux fleur," I recited, arms popping out of the tree that blocked the vine and using them to throw it down. The swordsman caught it as it fell, a grin on his face as he cleared his throat seconds before he launched himself off the altar, shouting like Tarzan as he went. I hid a smile as I caught the vine as well, Nami shaking her head in confusion, clearly not understanding the reference as I did.

I launched myself from the altar next, feeling the rush of the wind in my face instants before my feet touched ground. Nami grabbed the vine next, seeming quite unsure of herself.

"This looks pretty high," she told us. I smiled and decided to try and reassure her.

"It's probably 50 meters high. If you fall, you die," I told her. It didn't seem to reassure her as it would me. Apparently, she was more afraid of dying than I was.

"Don't say things like that," she shouted at me before she swung on the vine towards us, screaming all the way. Panic hit me slightly when I saw her direction. "Fast, too fast," she screamed. "I can't stop,"

A smile came over my face at that, arms sprouting from my own, catching her before she went headfirst into a tree. "My, aren't you the brave one," I teased lightly before the forest caught my attention and I walked away as she grumbled out an apology. "Don't mention it. This truly is a big forest,"

We quickly said our goodbyes to Chopper and walked deeper into the forest, my eyes searching for stone rising from the forest floor, signaling a ruin of some sort. If there was a poneglyph somewhere around here, I would find mention of it in the ruins. Or at least, that was my best chance of finding it. If not, I would simply have to look for the golden bell and hope that my hypothesis that the poneglyph was with it was correct.

We walked along for a few minute without finding a thing and before I knew it, we had reached the river. The swordsman ignored the very obvious fact that it was a dead end, nearing the water with a grumble, as if he intended to swim across the body of water. Before he could enter the water, however, another sky shark rose from the clouds, snapping at him, ready to swallow him whole. Nami screamed at him to watch out but he handled the situation calmly, offhandedly slashing it open so that it sank back down, other sky sharks appearing to eat it. He then returned to us, grumbling about damn fish.

I smiled at him and scanned the trees across the river for another vine. There was none. My gaze went to the trees above us. If we climbed up on these giants, there was a possibility that we would be able to see across the river. Without another word, I walked to the foot of one of the trees, placing my hand on it with consideration. Nami noticed my actions, Zoro trailing behind her to hide his interest.

"What is it?" she inquired. I turned with a smile on my face.

"I was simply wondering if I could climb one of these. The view would be much better from that high up," I told her. She looked at the tree in consideration but turning her gaze towards the swordsman.

"Zoro, climb up the tree and tell us if you see a way across," she ordered. His reaction was immediate.

"If you want to do that, do it yourself," he half-shouted, half-grumbled at her. She frowned at him in response.

"If you don't do it, I'll double your debt!" she warned. He simply scoffed. I decided to intervene, knowing both were much too stubborn to stop, my hand still on the tree. When I spoke, it was as if I was thinking out loud, knowing that would be the only way she would stop.

"With such a view, any treasure we might miss would be visible," I murmured, not bothering to even turn around to see her reaction.

"Robin, could you help me up the tree?" she rushed over to ask me, a Beli sign appearing in her eyes.

"Of course," I replied before crossing my arms and allowing hands to appear on the tree to make a ladder for Nami to climb up on. She didn't wait a moment to begin her climb. Zoro watched from a few feet away, a smirk on his face before he walked away. I waited for Nami to reach the branch near the top of the tree before following with interest, insuring that the swordsman didn't wander off too far.

When I caught up to him, he was wandering upon the tree trunks, probably looking for somewhere to sit and wait or possibly take a nap. And then he tripped, disappearing from my sight for a moment. I ran forward, slightly concerned about his safety since I could no longer see him among the massive tree roots. He reappeared swiftly, cursing about something. I wasn't very interested until I heard the words, "Stupid well,"

My walk grew swifter as I approached, an ancient well catching my eye, almost hidden by the tree's trunks. It was quite a curious sight. Zoro glared at the well; hand on his blade as if planning to attack the stones. My mood abruptly dropped. "Deux fleur," I recited, making two arms appear to stop his actions as I strode forward, my eyes on the well. He stopped quickly, shooting me a surprise glance.

I ignored him as I bent down to examine the stone. Where I expected the swordsman to grumble at my actions, he didn't say a word as he sat down near me, watching my actions carefully. My hands touched the stone, brushing away pieces of dirt and foliage, looking for any signs of words. The craftsmanship wasn't the best but I could tell that the well had been built with care. I rose up slightly, looking at the inside of the well.

It was fascinating to me as to why the well was here, next to what would be the river. It was also quite odd to me, speaking of a changing landscape. There was no use to have a well next to a river. My hands brushed the dirt off the top of the well, noticing how worn the well was. Then I stopped. Dirt? In the sky, where everything else was made of cloud? That was even odder, telling me that this land was probably not of the sky. It told me that the chances of this land being part of Jaya were high.

In addition to these, it was interesting of how the tree had overgrown to almost cover the well. For such a nicely made well, the builders would have had to have the tree's growth in mind. Something was quite odd here. But the trees were also massive, much bigger than on Jaya, as if they had grown for hundreds of more years. Unless…life in the sky had affected them to the point that they grew faster, making them giants, even with the thin air.

"What's so interesting about a dumb old well?" Zoro grumbled beside me. I didn't spare him a glance.

"Some would say the same about your swordsmanship," I replied. He scoffed, as if to disregard my statement.

"Why would someone say that?" he growled. I smiled as I continued to examine it.

"Exactly," I replied. A small glance at him showed his confusion. I decided to change the subject since I already had his attention. "You weren't happy with your bounty," I commented.

"It's too low," he shot back. "I'm not satisfied," A small chip in the corner of the stone caught my interest, something that didn't look like weathering damage but more that of a slice from a blade. Had there possibly been a war in this area sometime or another?

"It's an impressive starting bounty," I told him. "You beat the captain's first bounty," I simply hoped he didn't know my bounty. I doubted he would be amused to be getting advice from someone who's first bounty was higher, even if it hadn't risen in twenty years.

"Don't toy with me," he grumbled harshly. "Yours is higher," A slight glance showed that his face had become harder. I tried to ignore his bad mood, reaching into my backpack for my journal to write down my findings in its pages.

"I doubt that it will stay that way for long," I told him softly. He scoffed slightly, as if he thought I wouldn't hear it.

"As if I would trust your word," he growled. I opened my journal, quickly flipping to a clean page and beginning to sketch the well, making sure I included the tree growing over the well's top.

"I don't say it because of my own opinion, Mr. Swordsman," I murmured. "It only makes sense. Your bounty comes from your skills while mine came from the World Government's fear of the lost history. My dream simply has more enemies than yours," _Well shows signs of wear and possible weapon damage. Age seems to be around five hundred years. _

"You picking a fight with me?" he asked. I sighed. Did he really not understand what I was telling him? How could he be so clever at certain times and not at others? For a moment, there was only the sound of my pencil scratching the paper of my journal, his irritation growing more and more amusing.

"Of course not," I said, a laugh in my tone as I continued writing. When I was done, I set the journal down beside me, looking at the well. There were a few more things I wanted to look into as far as the well but first, I wanted to insure I had the time to do them. Zoro was quite beside me, simply sitting there, content with watching.

I rose to my feet and walked away after setting my backpack down by the well. I doubted the swordsman would be moving anytime soon so my possessions would be safe. With that, I walked to the side of the tree where Nami was sitting, binoculars out as she searched.

"Have you found a way across yet, Ms. Navigator?" I called up. Her gaze swept down to me, a smile appearing on her face.

"Not yet. I'll tell you when I do," she called back. It sounded like it would be a while until she found anything, no doubt too busy searching for treasure. But I was fine with the idea since it would give me a better chance of finding out more about the well.

I returned to the well only to find the swordsman searching through my journal, although he seemed to be taking care to read every page. I walked over and looked over his shoulder, hiding a shiver as I recognized the page he was looking at, splattered in blood. I had no doubt he didn't notice the shiver or even my presence, for that matter. I waited a few minutes more, simply watching him flip through the pages, suppressing the memories that came with them.

"Found anything interesting, Mr. Swordsman?" I asked him, expecting a reaction. He had none, not even a glance up. I was somewhat disappointed by it. "If you are hoping to find out something about me, it won't be in there," He didn't reply, just continued to read, as if it was interesting anyways.

I bent back down by the wall and took a few tools out of my bag, including a measuring device, some acid and a vial of water. There were some cases in which ancient peoples had carved their language into simple things, such as their wells and if there was such a thing on this one, I wasn't about to miss it.

I was dusting off an odd crevice in part of the well when my journal was suddenly placed in my lap. I turned to the swordsman in surprise only to find him sitting in a rather peaceful way, expression thoughtful. "Did you find anything of interest?" I inquired once again, not really looking at him.

"How long have you worked on that?" he inquired. I took it to be a question on my journal.

"I started it shortly before Ohara was destroyed," I replied. "Although I wasn't expecting it to last this long," There was something in the stone but I wasn't sure if it was simply the results of cracks or something more.

"Were you the reason Ohara was destroyed?" he asked, tone accusing. I froze at that, my heart sinking. Did he really believe that I had betrayed anyone before simply because it was something I wanted to do or that I was that heartless? I covered up my emotions quickly, not wanting them to show.

"No," I said as calmly as I could. "The island was destroyed because of what the World Government wished to hide from the world. It is the purpose of why I have to find the lost history, so that their sacrifice will not be in vain," I forced back the laughter that threatened to come out, the laughter that I had always used to make such memories less unpleasant. He seemed surprised at my answer whether it was that I could be so calm about it or perhaps it was something else that I didn't know about.

"I doubt they sacrificed their lives so that you could doom others," he finally said after a while. My gaze went to him, still carefully masking the emotions.

"It can't be helped," I told him. "The World Government has been pursuing me since I was eight and I too often have the choice to run away or be captured. The pirates and people who have tried to use me suffered the consequences of my presence, nothing else. I survive so that I can fulfill my promises to the people who died for me," He was once again silent, face thoughtful, gazing at me calmly. I wondered what he was thinking.

"We all have our promises we want to keep," he murmured finally, face almost compassionate. Then it was gone, replaced by his normal, gruff expression, his hand his white katana. His eyes, however, were those of someone thinking of their past.

"Care to share?" I inquired, forcing my gaze back to the well so I could probe the strange patterning with water, washing some of the dirt out of them in hopes that the edges would be easier to find. He didn't reply, just stood up and walked to the river so he could test to see if there were still sky sharks in there. There were. He strode back after a few moments.

"Is that well really that significant?" he asked; face normal again as well as attitude. I hardly noticed it, my interest now caught by the well. He seemed impatient know, as if he had remembered that he was on a mission to find god and every second we spent here was detracting from it. In a way, I was sad that he was, I had been enjoying the conversation.

…

I could only stare in horror as the knight of the sky fell to the ground, the man who called himself god Eneru gloating over it. His defeat confirmed my suspicions, that the man was similar to Crocodile, invincible by his devil's fruit ability. The only difference was this man was lightning, something that was far more destructive on first hit than sand or even ice, the only other elemental devil fruit I knew of.

"Devil's fruit," the swordsman growled from beside me. I only wished it would have been a less lethal type. Experience from Aokiji and Crocodile had taught me they were nearly impossible to beat. There was nothing any of my assassination skills could do, in this situation.

"Most likely the Goro Goro fruit," I murmured to him, watching Eneru as he walked away from his victim. "It's one of the invincible powers, the power of lightning."

Nami somehow heard my words from behind her hiding stone. "Lightning…impossible. How can we win against that?" she said shakily. I didn't want to tell her we couldn't, although that seemed to be the case. I found myself wishing for Luffy. He had pulled off a miracle before in defeating Crocodile and we could only hope he did the same here, even if he did it by using the warlord's only weakness. My mind locked onto the fact. Every element had a weakness, sand was water, ice was fire and lightning was…rubber.

I only half-heard Eneru's words of us coming with him to his endless earth. If I could delay the man long enough for Luffy to get out the snake, we had a chance of saving this land and all the history within it. The thought of all the history that had survived this long almost perfectly only to be destroyed now angered me. Finally, the man who thought himself a god finished his announcement.

"What if we refuse?" I asked him calmly. I needed to distract him from a fight by any means possible until Luffy arrived. The crew didn't need anyone else to be injured at this time and a battle would surely bring it. In addition, a fight here would destroy the city's remaining history and I would not have it.

"Refuse?" he asked me, confused. "Why? I've already decided! If you stay here, you will fall into the abyss with this country," It sounded like a better option to me, anyways. I would rather have death than to be taken away from the lost history. I would rather fall and be destroyed with the history I loved, just like I had wished to do in Alabasta, the history that could be destroyed, unlike the poneglyphs.

"True…with your power it is possible. However, if you destroy this country, that thing you want will also fall. No?" I inquired of him, still trying to delay. While I was trying to consume time, it wouldn't hurt to try and save this history as well, something that would be destroyed with the country. I also sensed he was interested in the golden bell and I was the only one who knew its location, at the top of the beanstalk.

"You mean the gold bell?" he inquired before laughing. "Don't worry, judging from your earlier adventures, I can think of only one place where the bell would be…" I froze, unable to control a wince. How could he possibly know? Had he been watching me earlier or perhaps all of us? In any case, if he knew, my one point to save the history and to delay for time was gone. If he knew the bell was on the beanstalk, I had nothing else to work with! He smiled in a rather evil way at me.

"Looks like you're thinking what I'm thinking," he mocked before striding towards me. "You seem surprised. Did you think you could trick me and find it yourself? You underestimate me! How shallow,"

My body froze, knowing that it was already too late to try and run as the lightning began to crackle at his fingertips. There was nowhere to run to without the city being hit and I would not let any history be destroyed for my sake. But at least if I died here, I would die with the history. I would never have to see the Straw Hats destroyed because of me nor anyone else. In some ways, death would be a relief.

"Robin!" Nami's voice cried out, already seeing what was about to happen, worry and terror in her tone. Her voice brought me out of my calmness, the present spiraling back to me. Eneru was walking closer, the lightning still crackling.

"I don't like shallow women," he finished before the lightning hit. I didn't allow myself to scream, to make a noise as it hit. For some reason, I didn't want to make it worse for the navigator who was watching, probably in horror. The pain increased before my vision began to fade, my body falling backwards. My only regret was that I hadn't found the poneglyph on this island, that I hadn't found the lost history yet.


	5. A Second Chance

**A/N:** I'm so sorry for taking so long to update. My lovely muse left me. So while it is back, I will be writing a lot of chapters to stock up so I can do the every other week system. In addition, thank you to everyone who has reviewed, favorited and put on alert this story. You don't know how much I appreciate them. Without further adue, here is the next chapter.

I do not own One Piece!

Rejecting Freedom

Chapter 5

A Second Chance

Consciousness came slowly, the world dark and cold for what seemed to be a few moments before it returned slowly. When hearing came back to me, I tried to open my eyes but my body wouldn't cooperate. But it was a normal thing for a body to go into shock when put into a life endangering event. I was certain to regain movement within a few minutes.

It became obvious as I regained senses that the fight was not doing well. My hearing came back just in time to hear a cry of pain, the sizzle of lightning and then the clattering of a blade to the ground. I realized with a slight shock that Mr. Swordsman had fallen. There was silence for a moment, except for the sound of heavy breathing before there was the sound of someone rising.

Eneru started to talk in a didactical tone to someone about history and that they should just give in. I was abruptly curious about it, even if I still couldn't move. I wondered if the one he was speaking to was Waipa, the man who I suspected to be part of the descendents of Jaya. My answer became obvious when his voice answered back to Eneru.

Moments later, I felt wind buffer against my skin, making me want to wince from the pain it caused on my sensitive skin. There was another crackle of lightning which accompanied it, another pained cry.

Nami's voice came to me as the wind died down. "Zoro…Robin…" she murmured, the terror and uncertainty obvious in her tone. For a moment, I wished that I would be able to move, if only to try and comfort her from her fear. As soon as the thought came, I felt myself recoil from it. The thought did not bode well for me in the least. It would not be good for me to move or to comfort Nami, even if I could, for it would certainly put me in more danger than I was already in. I doubted Eneru would be one to overlook my movement although the thought that we would fall from the sky might change that.

Even so, I was nervous for her as she agreed to Eneru's terms to go to the dream land. While it may have been a clever idea at the time, it also had a lot of danger within it. It would be all too easy for her to get trapped with him and to get carried away to a place she would have no choice but to go to. After a few minutes, the sounds of them faded away.

It was silent around me then and it filled me with worry I shouldn't have had. I did not like the fact that I couldn't even hear breathing, something that even those who were very injured should have had. If the breathing was so shallow that I couldn't hear it, it was a pernicious thing.

My recovery continued swiftly and while the silence continued, the feeling slowly came back to my body. I was able to twitch my finger. I began to focus on opening my eyes. I needed to get to a safe place for if the land fell out of the sky, along with the crewmates I could. Our only hope seemed to be Nami at the moment and possible Luffy, where ever he was. I doubted that he would let his crewmates fall without doing something, which was an excellent thing. He was very possibly the only one who would be able to defeat Eneru, if his dauntless attitude didn't blindside his judgment.

I began to hear voices, growing closer. I recognized one of them as they grew closer; it was Luffy.

"Zoro!" the cry was loud, something only the captain could accomplish when he didn't know where the enemy was, that he wasn't safe. The concern in it surprised me. "Oi! What happened to you? How did you get like this? Where's Nami?" It didn't seem to bother him that Mr. Swordsman wasn't answering him in the least.

I struggled to get my eyes open, so I could reply to his questions. Nami needed to be saved from Eneru that much was clear. But above this (or at least I forced myself to think so) was that he was the only one who could possibly save this history before it fell into the sea. A girl's shrill shriek cut through the clearing, the name of Waipa on her voice. I heard Luffy run over to her.

My eyes finally shot open to see him sitting above a gaping hole in the ground, a young girl near his side, discussing something. The next thing was to make my mouth move, so I could call out to give him the information. Luckily, I was able to move my lips but when they did, a cry of pain replaced my cry of Luffy's name. Even so, it caught his attention.

"Robin?" he asked before rushing over to me. I closed my eyes, the pain making my body shake. I was clearing pushing it simply by speaking, an ill fated sign. But he was the only one who could save us.

"He took Miss Navigator," I murmured, trying not to add my pain to my tone. In truth, I simply fell like passing back out from the pain, to try and get rid of it in the comfort of unconsciousness or possibly even death.

"H-Hey, stay awake," Luffy stuttered out, the concern that came out when he was questioning Zoro now entering back into his tone. His hands rolled me over, lifting up my head. My body felt slightly better, if only because I knew that I was safe now with Luffy looking over me, although my muscles still shook from the effort of staying awake. "He took away Nami? Where to?"

I forced my eyes open to look at his worried face. "No idea," I murmured. "Listen…this island and this country…all of Skypiea will be destroyed,"

"You mean the Sky Island?" he exclaimed. The young girl next to him freaked out a little bit, although it was understandable in the situation.

"My village too?" she inquired. I ignored it. I needed to wrap up this conversation quickly before I really did pass out.

"Everything will…" I stopped, my voice breaking slightly. "Everything here will fall to the ground. But I believe he will…he will try to find the golden bell," Luffy's face became almost excited.

"So Eneru will go to where the gold bell is?" he inquired, the worry vanishing from his tone and face. My vision went black for a second but I forced myself to answer.

"Yes…I'm sure of it…he will come back for i…" my voice cut off, my vision going once again black. It would seem that my body was giving up on me.

"Are you okay?" Luffy inquired, the worry shooting back into his tone. I managed to smile weakly at him, although his attention was quickly taken off me as the little girl somehow located where Eneru and Nami were. His glance went back to me. "I'll be right back, so don't worry" he told me with a confident smile. It dazzled me for a moment, his confidence that he would win, just like he had been when it came to Crocodile. Perhaps that was why he had been able to win, because he hadn't given up hope. His attitude helped me muster my energy.

"Before you go, could you… you lean me up against the wall?" I inquired. "I'll try to get everyone… out of here," He nodded quickly and picked me up before setting me against the wall with a grin. He waved at me before running after the little girl. I watched him go, the smile still on my face. When he disappeared from sight, I let it slip.

How could we get out of there? It was obvious the ruins were not the best place to be if the island fell since they were in the bottom layer of the clouds. Upon impact in the island would break and there would be no way to escape from the bottom. If we were to get to the top of the island, somehow, however, the chances were better, even if they were still extremely slim. The problem was how to get four people, other than myself up to those heights. Chopper would be simple to just carry since he was the lightest but if I did so, it would be impossible to use my devil's fruit to take the rest.

I would need to gather my energy as quickly as I could so I could use my devil fruit to carry them. It would probably be best to take two trips, to first get Chopper and Zoro out of danger, then Waipa and the Sky Knight out of danger. But I would wait to regain my energy, although I knew that time was not on my side in this case.

…

By the time I felt well enough to summon my abilities, the sky had darkened, a dark thunderhead filling the sky. It was most likely the force that Eneru had summoned to destroy this island. But it was not my fight. The only thing I could do was place my hope and trust in Luffy. It was an odd notion in some ways to me. I had learned a long time ago that trusting someone was not the wise thing to do. It always seemed to hurt more in the end when you did so. I forced the thought from my head. I needed to focus on the situation at hand, not on whether or not I could place my trust in Luffy.

I crossed my arms across my chest and summoned hands which appeared below Zoro and the Sky Knight. I had decided to take them first, considering I should take the heaviest to the safest spot before the lightest. My eyes closed as the usage began to drain my strength. The safest place would be at the beanstalk that sprouted out of the ground. It would take us to a higher place and it would be the last place to fall since the golden bell was most likely upon it. In addition, it was the only clear path to higher ground.

My gaze went to the sky. It was growing darker now, making it evident that the destruction of this land was coming ever closer. I would need to hurry to make it to safety in time. I took the two men to the middle of the beanstalk before coming back down for the other two. They both reached the area safely, to my relief.

I sighed as I looked up the beanstalk. There were no more places in the beanstalk that were safe such as this, no more clouded areas to rest upon. If the island fell, this would be sturdier than upon the beanstalk itself. I could only hope that this cloud bank would last long enough to survive the fall.

The ship I had noticed before in the sky, which was adding to the darkness of the clouds, caught my eye. It was growing closer. It was really heading for the golden bell, meaning Eneru was really intending to take it with him. My thoughts turned to Nami. I wondered where she was, if she was safe, even though it was something that I shouldn't have cared about. Had something bad happened on the ship?

"Robin?" a sudden shout caught me off guard, making me turn in surprise. The girl from before fell out of the sky at me, screaming as she fell. I caught her swiftly.

"Thanks," she sighed before I set her on the ground. Then she saw my hands. "Wah! Your arms!" I smiled slightly, my gaze going to Luffy.

"Luffy," I said, noticing a ball of a gold substance on his hands. "Is that a ball of gold on your hands?" That was quite odd. I couldn't imagine how he had received that, especially when it was so tightly attached to his hand. He didn't both to answer.

"Does this vine lead to the golden bell?" he demanded. "Eneru's going to be there, right?" I stared at him for a moment, trying to figure out how he could possibly be planning to get up the beanstalk with the gold upon his hand.

"Yes. You have to hurry before he leaves," I replied. I knew it would do no good to tell him how impossible his thinking was, for I knew it wouldn't bother him in the least. "Ah, Luffy," I called up at him but he was already running up the beanstalk in an impossible looking way. I watched him go in amazement before curiosity over Nami's fate drove me to look at the girl.

"Hey, where is the navigator?" I asked. "The girl with the orange hair," She looked at me with complete understanding.

"Eh? Nami? She's still on the ship…in the sky" the little girl replied although she now seemed confused. "I can't hear her voice though," A figure appeared in the distance. I quickly recognized it as Nami on the waver, someone clinging on behind her. Relief spread quickly around my body.

"Ah, Robin," Usopp's voice came from the distance, sounding relieved.

"We're here!" Nami exclaimed. "Aisa, you're alright," I simply stared at them in relief and surprise. It was good that they were fine, that they had not been struck by lightning, with only their bodies left, scarred with burns.

"Miss Navigator and Mr. Long Nose," I said. The little girl rushed at Nami, hugging her legs in happiness. Usopp's gaze went to the people lying on the ground, fear in his eyes. The girl explained to Nami the situation while Usopp lost control of his mind due to the fear, wanting to leave immediately. Nami decided to go help Luffy with his mission, telling us to go back to the ship.

My gaze went to the rest of island, watching it carefully. As I watched, the first bolt of lightning burst from the cloud, striking the island and leaving smoke that had to come from something caught on fire from the blast. More and more blasts joined the first one, striking the island below. Nami looked at the blasts and began her journey up the beanstalk.

Usopp rushed to the bodies, shouting "Hurry, Robin. We have to get these…" he trailed off as Waipa stood. I began to realize this area would not be safe for long for once Eneru had reached his goal, it would be destroyed.

I noticed stirring below me. My gaze went down to Zoro, who was finally moving. "Mr. Swordsman!" I exclaimed before kneeling down and checking to see if the little doctor was stirring as well since the Sky Knight had also woken. I hoped he would be but he was not.

Zoro let out a deep breath as his eyes opened. I picked up the little doctor to insure he was okay. He was completely relaxed in my arms but I thought he would be okay. I frowned down at his face, only noticing that Zoro's gaze was on me offhandedly. Usopp noticed all the people waking and shouted hurriedly that we had to move.

My gaze ran on the remaining people lying on the ground. "Hang on tight. We can't stay here any longer," The lightning seemed to increase its pace, hitting the ground quicker and quicker. Usopp lost control once again, saying that we should leave. Waipa turned to me afterwards.

"By the way, did you say something about a golden bell?" he asked.

"Ah, yes," I replied, caught by surprise that he had been listening when I was trying to distract Eneru. I found it interesting that he was looking for the bell but then again he had been surprised when he first saw the ruins as well. The citizens must have lost all knowledge of their past due to the war over this land, but it was good to see that at least one of them still seeked it. Too often, a culture lost all of their precious history without caring about it in the least.

"The bell is Eneru's next destination…" he reasoned. "Do you know where it is?" I ignored Usopp's shouts about leaving, focused on the warrior before me.

"It's up the stalk," I replied, pointing to the beanstalk. "Somewhere near the top, I think. The giant stalk penetrated the land through the center of Cyandora. If I remember correctly, the bell was located at the center of the city; so theoretically, the bell should be somewhere further up the stalk." He listened intently. Then, without another word, he began to climb up the stalk, to the protests of everyone around him.

Something fell out of the sky in the next few seconds, hitting the stalk squarely and knocking off the warrior. I watched in shock as a piece of the beanstalk hit the ground nearby. "What's going on up there?" I inquired. The fighting must have been rather bad for such a big piece of foliage to simply break.

My gaze went to the warrior on the ground, teeth gritted. "The bell is right above us, I'm so close to fulfilling great Kuragara's wish." He spat. Sympathy washed through me, along with understanding and respect.

Suddenly, a huge ball of lightning fell from the sky, near the location of Angel Island. We all watched in shock as the island was hit resulting in a large explosion. It became obvious that the island was no more when the lightning cleared. A large gaping hole was left in the clouds but no more. I watched silently, hoping that everyone in the city had left before the lightning stroke the land.

My attention turned back to the warrior on the ground. "You're not the only one who wishes find the bell in order to ring it. The captain is also seeking it." Usopp's jaw dropped.

"You mean…Luffy is trying to…" he trailed off.

"Yes. According to what he said, he probably is," I assured them, my gaze still upon Waipa.

"He wants to ring the bell, too?" he inquired, his face not changing in the least. It didn't seem like the information comforted him in the least.

"If he said he is going to do that, then there is no way that Nami can get him to come down. His target is the same as Eneru's after all," Zoro cut in. I knew him to be right. Luffy wouldn't leave until he had reached his goal and hopefully saved the island while doing so.

As he spoke, Usopp noticed something in the sky falling down once again. He ran away quickly, never noticing it was nothing but a leaf. When it came to the ground, the little girl noticed something written upon it. I began to read.

"It's a message from Luffy and Nami!" Usopp exclaimed. "What does it say?" I stared at it for a moment before repeating it.

"Cut the beanstalk," I repeated. "And make it fall westward," Usopp reacted quickly, wondering out loud why they would want to do such a thing before noticing something more in the sky. My gaze went up before my eyes widened in surprise at the enormous ball of lightning gathering in the sky. I knew in an instant there was no way to escape it. It wouldn't matter where we were on the island, for once it struck, we would all die.

Zoro was the first one to figure out what Nami and Luffy's plans were. "They'll use the falling beanstalk as the bridge to the ship," he suddenly said. I stared him in surprise. "That must be what they're planning to do," Usopp stared at him as well before starting an argument with the swordsman. I watched with a tad of amusement. Once again he showed how clever he was before regressing into immaturity by getting into an argument so easily.

Lightning suddenly struck the clouds that our group was standing upon, making us scatter. Chopper went flying from my hands in the upheaval while Zoro tried to organize our group. Finally, the upheaval stopped. Zoro's gaze went to the stalk before he began to talk, more to himself than anyone else and rushed at the stalk, ready to slice it down to assist Luffy.

Within moments, there was a vapid space in the stalk. But before he could return, a bolt of lightning hit him and he fell out of sight. I watched in concern, while Usopp celebrated that he had at least cut the stalk. I began to notice something wrong. The stalk was not falling.

"It's no good," I commented. "Look!" The brief celebration quickly stopped, for those who were celebrating. There was no time to worry over the swordsman's fate, though, since all of our dooms were at hand. A large tremor spread through the plant moments later, something hitting it from down below. The beanstalk began to fall, making Usopp celebrate, before stopping. "No, it wasn't enough. It only tilted a little, we need a bigger impact,"

Waipa began to rise, still determined to ring the bell, believing that Luffy had no right to ring it. My gaze turned to him. I began to speak and he stopped to listen as I began to tell him about Cricket and Norland's legacy. He waited before asking the descendant's name. I gave it to him quickly.

I was surprised to see the tears running down Waipa's face as he asked who the explorer was. When I replied "Yes," he began to run at the beanstalk before using the reject dial on the beanstalk. That done, he fell to the ground, dead or very close to it. My respect for the man rose, knowing that he would likely be killed because of his use. But it was enough to make the beanstalk finally fall.

More lightning continued to fall onto the clouds, exposing the ruins beneath it. The lightning began to strike the ruins, making them crumble. I watched it in horror, at the history being destroyed without any care in the least. It also made my temper rise, wishing I could punish Eneru for destroying all the history but also knowing that I was unable to do anything to harm him, since he was a logia user.

A figure rose from the smoke, standing within the ruins, defying Eneru's destruction of them. When the smoke cleared, it was revealed as Waipa. The little girl tried to rush forward, to join him but I restrained her, knowing the danger associated with her running into such a minefield.

Soon the enormous thunder ball began to descend on the land and I knew we would soon be nothing more than a black smudge of ash upon the sea by the time it was done. Nothing of us would remain as we were washed away upon the waves, scattered across the world without a care. Perhaps by the time the tide was done with what used to me, I would have found the Rio Poneglyph with some part of my body that no longer existed.

Then, the lightning began to spark unnaturally, a figure barely being seen within the darkness. I couldn't help but wonder what was occurring for this effect. Perhaps it was something the captain was doing. I simply hoped it was enough to save the history along with us. And it seemed to be, for the cloud slowly evaporated, until it was gone completely, leaving the sun shining upon the lands. I barely heard Waipa's cries for Luffy to ring the bell.

It was hard to see the fight which resulted afterwards until the loud but beautiful sound of a bell rang through the air. A smile came to my face at the sound of it, the sound which was a beacon of peace. I would have been able to listen to that sound happily for my entire life. "What a beautiful sound,"

I smiled as I sat upon the ruins of the Golden City, listening to the rest of the crew and the citizens of the Skypiea speaking. It was delightful to know that the city had been saved, that much of the history had been preserved. The citizens of this place didn't know how lucky they were to have this much history in their hands. I could have spent the rest of my life in the city, basking in the beauty of the history. The World Government would never find me again and I would never need to run from them again. But I would also never find any more poneglyphs or any more of the lost history. It was something I could never do, as much I wished to. I would continue on and fulfill the legacy of Ohara, no matter what happened.

I only half-heard what was occurring with the rest of the crew, including some of them returning. The only thing which caught my attention was the supposed death of Conis's father. But my attention was again lost when he appeared, much to everyone's surprise. Before long, I left the rest of the crew and wandered off into the ruins, searching for the fascinating history I had discovered beforehand. No one followed me which was just fine with me.

I found the wall quickly and it was luckily not touched in the least by the lightning that had torn through the ruins. My hand reached to touch it and I ran my fingers across the surface, feeling the texture of the engraved writing. Without another word, I began to read it, taking in the history slowly. Before long, I had dug out my journal from my backpack, which I had found among the ruins, slightly scorched but the contents untouched and my hat alongside it. I began to take notes on the history, from the start of the war to the information that came from before the island had come up to the sky.

Footsteps made me turn in surprise, although slightly coolly, wondering who could have followed me. I was shocked to see Nami, watching me with a hint of worry.

"How are you feeling?" she inquired softly. I smiled at her to try and stifle her worry.

"Just fine, Miss Navigator," I told her. "I simply could not bear to wait around to look at the ruins. There is so much fascinating history upon these walls," She nodded and sat down, watching.

"Are you sure?" she asked. "It looks like it hurts," My attention went back to the wall, a smile coming to my face at her worry.

"It could be much worse, I could be a burnt corpse instead of standing here, reading the history," I murmured with a touch of amusement. Her eyes grew wide in horror.

"What?" she squeaked. I frowned at her response before remembering that she did not view death as simply as I did.

"Are you alright, Miss Navigator? You had quite an eventful day," I inquired of her. She seemed surprised.

"I was mostly worried about everyone else, Robin," she confessed. "I didn't know what to do when Eneru beat both you and Zoro! I thought you might be dead," I turned to look at her sympathetically to find her face terrified. "And then Sanji sacrificed himself to save me," A half-sob entered her voice, although she didn't show it very much.

I set down my journal without really thinking about and walked over to the younger woman. Her head bowed, as if she was hiding tears of frustration, the terror of the day catching up with her. I sat down next to her and pulled her head into my shoulder, rubbing her back softly. She began to make a strangled sounding noise, something which I ignored, for her sake. I simply kept guard on my friend, making sure no one else could see her fears revealed.

When she was done, she raised her head and stared at me, as if wondering what to do. I simply smiled patiently. She wiped away the wet spot on her cheeks.

"I'm sorry, Robin" she murmured. I tilted my head to the side, placing it upon the tips of my fingers.

"There's nothing to worry about, Miss Navigator," I replied. "We all have those days," She nodded, a smile coming to her face to break through the tears, hiding them completely.

"So have you found any evidence of a hidden treasure that Eneru didn't find?" she inquired in excitement. I shook my head.

"I'm afraid not," I replied. Her face fell.

"Luffy is going to pay for not bringing down that golden ship and losing the golden bell!" she declared. I smiled.

"I'm sure he will," I replied.

"Shall we go back to the rest of the crew? I'm sure they're wondering where we got off to," Nami suggested. I looked at the wall in slight disappointment, hoping to get more time with it but at this moment, Nami was more important than the history.

"Of course," I replied, reaching down to pick up my journal to place it into the scorched backpack then hefting onto my shoulders and placing my hat upon my head. She smiled up at me and walked away. I gave one more regretful look at the wall and followed.

By the time we returned to the rest of the crew, it was growing dark outside. Sanji waltzed over to us in an instant, the first one to notice our return. I ignored his fluff about our beauty and walked back over to the stone I had sat on before. A party was bursting out in the clearing of the ruins, a massive bonfire providing the light for the celebration. I watched it for a moment before taking out my journal and reading through my notes, still itching to return to the wall. Normally, the party would have interested me more but with so much history in excellent condition I was distracted completely.

Nami quickly joined into the party, Sanji dancing around her for a moment before a few of the native women distracted him. The rest of the crew could be seen, enjoying the party and the heat of the fire. I continued to scan through my notes. It was a pity the golden bell had been lost with the potential poneglyph. I would have liked to take a look at it. A sigh escaped from my lips and I placed my journal back in my bag to watch the party.

I watched the party go on for a while before I grew bored; wishing I had a book with me but the closest one was upon the ship. I was tempted to take back out my journal and scan through my notes again but it didn't sound very appealing. So I took off my hat, set it on my backpack and stood, wandering at the edge of the party, using the fire's light to look at the ruins, hoping to find some text within them. Several times, curious eyes followed me around as I ran my hands along the walls.

"What are you looking for?" A quiet voice inquired. I turned to find Waipa behind me, bandages covering his body, the work of Chopper. I felt a smile come to my face.

"I was hoping to find some history close by," I replied. He looked slightly suspicious before he relaxed, looking curious.

"Have you found anything interesting?" he asked.

"Only a description of the history before the city was lost to time," I told him.

"Really?" he questioned. I nodded. "Where?" I looked at him for a moment, almost surprised that he was interested in more than just the bell, the glory that he had tried to recover with the ringing of it.

"If you wish, I can show it to you when it is light," I murmured. "But it is written in an old dialect," The disappointment was clear in his eyes, although he seemed to be trying to hide it.

"And can you read it?" he demanded.

"I can," I said quietly. "I have the text translated in my journal, if you wish to see it," His expression didn't change very much but he nodded. I walked back in the direction of my backpack, checking to see that he followed and flipped through my journal to the pages of the history of Jaya before handing it to him. He was silent as he read it before looking back up at me.

"Thank you for showing me this," he muttered. I simply smiled up at him, for once it being genuine. The woman who had appeared shortly after the fight called to him and he walked over to her, talking to her silently.

As I tucked my journal back into my backpack, I became aware of Zoro's eyes upon me. My gaze went back to the party, wondering if I should go back to examine the ruins or to simply watch everyone, all the while keeping an eye on the swordsman. He watched me for a few moments before draining the rest of his ale and walking over. At first, I thought he was coming over to talk to me, a very odd idea, to say the least but he walked past me. I kept my eye on him as he refilled his beverage and grabbed another glass and filling it up as well.

On the way back to the party, he stopped, as if first noticing that I was sitting there. It would have been a good plan, if he hadn't been keeping his eye on me for so long.

"Oi, Robin, what are you doing?" he asked. "You're supposed to drink at a party," The comment caught me by surprise, since I was expecting something which was more obvious. I hadn't thought the swordsman could be so subtle in plots, as much as he seemed to hate when I manipulated him in a similar fashion.

"I see," I replied before standing. "Then I suppose I should grab one," He didn't say anything, just shoved the extra glass he had at me.

"Take this," he told me. I took it with a smile.

"Thank you, Mr. Swordsman," I said, taking the glass off his hands. His now free hand scratched his head uncertainly.

"If you want to join the drinking contest, we'd be happy to have you," he informed me. I shook my head, my smile widening.

"That's quite alright. I'll be fine where I am," I replied. He frowned slightly but walked back to his new drinking buddy, where he seemed to forget all about the conversation.

I took a drink of the ale and smiled genuinely, watching the party silently, not even realizing how attached I was becoming to the crew as a whole. All I knew was this was the most relaxed moment I could remember since before Ohara fell.

**A/N:** Hmmm, so what do you think? Was Nami's character alright or should I go back and fix it because I butchered her terribly? I really hope not. Thanks for reading! Oh and before people start wondering, below would be Zoro's pov. ^.^

I watched Robin attempt to manipulate the so-called god in silence, not understanding her reasoning. It was obvious from her position next to Crocodile and her bounty that she could handle her enemies just fine without manipulating them. I was ready to attack the so-called god, to match my strength against his, to see if I was stronger. It had been the reason I had left the ship and I wouldn't turn back without a fight.

The archeologist continued to talk, trying to manipulate him into something using the golden bell. I wondered if she had found it somehow so Luffy could be told. Once he had set his mind on doing something, he couldn't give up.

Robin's tricks didn't work on the so-called god, the situation turning on her quickly. I readied myself to attack him, waiting for her to do something other than just stare in horror at him, just as she had done when she had first waltzed up onto the ship, disarming the entire crew swiftly. And yet, she still stood there, frozen, blood draining from her face in fear.

The lightning hit her swiftly, the woman still sitting there like a fool. My body tensed, something not sitting right within me at watching her fall. I rushed forward without thinking, catching her before she fell to the ground. It took a moment for my mind to catch up to what my body had done, my gaze at the ground.

Why had I done that? There was no reason at all for me to have. And yet I did. Unlike the lovesick idiot of a cook, I was fine with watching a woman get hurt, with hurting one. Kuina would have haunted me forever if I did, with her stubborn talk of how being a woman shouldn't make a difference in the least, lasting until the very end. She would have been annoyed at me if I had done the same, interfering in her fight.

I was being a complete idiot, catching Robin as she fell. If any of the other crew found out about this, especially the damn cook, I would never hear the end of it. The thought of Robin finding out about it and her knowing smile made my temper rise. My head lifted to glare at Eneru, my annoyance at myself overcoming everything. Words burst from my mouth without any thought attached to them, something, anything, to make my actions alright. "She's a woman!" The thought of Kuina's disappointment with me, with my words, drove me forward to attack the god.


	6. The Predicted Outcome

**A/N:** Hi! So I'm updating early because I realized I wouldn't be in town to update on Friday. So enjoy! Thanks again to everyone who reviewed, favorited and story alerted this fict. It always makes me happy to see that. Oh, and I was really lazy and sick of copying down lines and stuff 'cause of last chapter, so a lot of this chapter is more summarizing until it gets to the Aokiji part. I'm going to try to break away from the main storyline in the upcoming chapters because it feels so uncreative to me. Anyways, sorry for the long note and enjoy the chapter!

Rejecting Freedom

Chapter 6

The Predicted Outcome

I stared up at the octopus which acted like a parachute for the ship, a smile on my face. What a creative idea to use in order to get back down to the blue sea! The sky was all around us, as it had been when we had used the knock-up stream but this was far more relaxing. Nami sat by me on the railing, sticking to my side more than ever since we had left the island. It was only a pity that she had decided to leave before the citizens could bring the golden pole to the ship, even if I was unsure if the ship would be able to carry it. She was delighted at the moment, no doubt from the idea of the all the gold they had collected.

As for me, I was only happy to have seen the poneglyph on the island, to find out that Gol D. Roger had been there before, to learn indirectly what he had known. The idea that there was two types of tablets was interesting, to say the least. It was something unexpected, unknown. But it gave me a new goal, to find more of the clue type poneglyphs, so that the information that I had believed to be the Rio Poneglyph would be complete in the end.

My gaze drifted to the captain watching the octopus with amazement. It was also quite interesting that he seemed to be following in the Pirate King's footsteps almost perfectly. Keeping that in mind, my original plan to join the crew to find poneglyphs would work out as long as the pattern continued. I couldn't wonder but at what cost it would be at. To be betrayed like so many times before or to betray and save myself, this time with the guilt following me throughout life.

"Hey, Robin," Nami suddenly called out. "What were you doing while we found the treasure?" She walked closer until she was sitting right next to me. "I could have used your help to make the boys stop complaining. I'm sure they stopped working when I left,"

I smiled at her. "I found something which caught my attention," I murmured. She frowned, as if she was confused by my words.

"Oh," she said before brightening. "Did you find any treasure?" I moved my hand to touch my chin, tilting my head.

"I did but the boys left before it could be brought to the ship. I guessed they didn't want it," I replied. Her gaze turned to the boys in annoyance but said nothing.

"I'm going to raise their debt for that," she muttered. She turned back to me, a friendly smile appearing on her lips. "When we cash in the gold, we should go shopping. You still only have a few outfits that you own," A mischievous tone came into her eyes. "We'll bring one of the boys along to carry all the bags. There's no need to waste our energy by carrying them,"

"A clever idea, Miss Navigator," I complimented. She grinned evilly at the men who were sitting upon the deck, unsuspecting of her plots. "I will also need some new books the next time we stop in a new town,"

"Of course," she replied. "I need some more ink and paper, too. Luffy ruined all of my supply," A tone of anger entered her voice at the end.

"I'm sure he didn't mean any harm," I told her. She stared at the offender of the incidence.

"Maybe you're right, Robin. It's too bad I already pummeled him for it," she replied. We stared at the surroundings for a while, silent. Before long, a fight broke out on the deck between Zoro and Sanji, Chopper trying to break it up, crying to them about their injuries ripping open. Nami growled quietly and started to get up, ready to re-establish peace.

"There's no need for that, Miss Navigator, I'll handle it," I informed her before crossing my arms over my chest to allow arms to appear on deck, grabbing the men's legs and making them fall to the deck. Luffy started laughing in an instant, his gaze going to where Nami and I sat.

"Thanks, Robin," Nami told me, a smile replacing her anxiety and anger at the two men. The men had quite different reactions.

Sanji rose from the floor, his face red from impact, looked up at the two of us, and began to sway around. "Robin-swan is so beautiful when she's annoyed," he bubbled.

Zoro got up from the ground; his face matching the chef's and glared up at the two of us. He muttered something underneath his breath and returned to the side of the ship, very obviously ignoring our presence. Luffy caught a glance of his face and started laughing again, saying something about how Zoro looked like a type of food I had never heard of before, although it sounded like something the captain had made up.

Very soon afterwards, as if remembering our presence, Sanji ran up to us, hearts appearing in his eyes. "Nami-san, Robin-chan, what would you like for a snack?" he inquired in a sing songy tone. I smiled up at him while Nami kept an even face.

"Anything would be fine, Mr. Cook. Everything you cook tastes excellent," I murmured. He began to sway.

"Robin-chan is so kind!" he exclaimed before swaying down the steps and into the kitchen. Zoro scowled as he passed, no doubt still wishing to continue his fight with the cook. Nami sighed and walked down to the lower deck. I waited a moment before following after her as she sat down by Luffy at the railing.

"I wonder what type of island is next," she murmured. I kept my distance from the railing, just in case the landing was bumpy and there was a chance of being knocked overboard. Her gaze came to me. "Do you know what it is, Robin?"

"I'm afraid I don't," I replied calmly. Zoro's gaze shot towards me, bordering on a glare. Chopper caught sight of it and ran over to me, hiding behind me. My gaze dropped down to him. "Is there something wrong, Mr. Reindeer?"

He shot a glance at Zoro before shaking his head and creeping back out into view.

Instants later, the ship was falling from the sky rapidly as it lost its parachute. We crashed down into the ocean roughly, making icy cold water crash over the edges, soaking every crew member on the ship, including Sanji who had just rushed back out of the kitchen. I stared out to the sea, holding back a shiver from the water. We were back, along with all my problems that had seemed so insignificant in the skies. The days until I was forced to leave the ship had begun to count down once again.

…

I kept on eye on the so-called captain of the Foxy crew as Zoro and Sanji engaged in the second match of the games. Although the man had said there was no need, I didn't trust him not to interfere in this match as well. The Noro-Noro beam, as it was called, could easily become problematic, as it had when we had lost the first match. If I had known it would result in the loss of the match, I would have throttled the man before he had an opportunity to use the devil's fruit ability.

As it was, I pitied the little doctor who was carefully holding back tears to show how brave he was after Mr. Swordsman had scolded him. Although I agreed on some levels with his words, there was a certain harshness which wasn't necessary in the moment. There was no doubt in my mind Chopper was terrified at his fate, which was quite understandable. I wished it had been me to be chosen, so I would have no choice but to be ripped from the crew before my fate could destroy theirs. They didn't deserve the punishment of my presence in the crew such as the Foxy crew did. Separating friends from one another was the worst thing you could do, especially when you did it with such an unjust competition.

Nami, who stood next to me, watched the games in nervousness, although she covered it well with anger at the boys' foolishness at not working as a team. Chopper would have been able to keep them in line but since he had been taken by the enemy, it was a fatal flaw in the game. The competition was intimidating, hovering over them like the trees which grew upon this island. They were simply lucky the giant fish man was not as big as a true giant, not as big as Saul. My thoughts flickered away from that idea quickly.

It was also obvious with a glance that the competition wasn't very clever, brawn more than brains. They depended on their strength to win and nothing else. But strength was winning them the match since our crew mates were not working together in the least. If they were, I was certain this match would have been over quite some time ago, as long as the Foxy captain was kept from interfering. It was a true pity considering the swordsman and cook were smart, although Zoro often showed it more, and instead of using this to their advantage, they would end up as a broken pile of bones, smashed by the enemy.

I kept silent as both men were crushed by the enemy, Zoro trying to attack separately from the cook, who was being tossed around like a doll among children. It appeared this match was almost over, with yet another loss for our crew. I wondered which crewmate would be taken this time and which crewmate would be recovered if the third match was won. There was still a chance for fate to save the crew from me and my past.

Still separate, the men solved the predicament, if only temporarily. The Foxy crew was silent for a moment as they were able to deal out damage onto the Groggy Monsters and throw two of the members out of the ring before they once again started to chatter. The fools on the field began to argue once again, completely oblivious what was around them. The half-giant almost killed them with one foul step and they both took off, running from the blades beneath his foot.

Sanji began to argue with the referee about the rules, finally kicking him. I ignored it and kept my eyes on the match, where the swordsman was still fleeing from the monster, suddenly curious to see what the men would do now, with such odds against them. The stakes were higher now, the brute force of the team higher than ever and only two solutions left: to win or to be filled with holes in a most cruel ending. A few words from Nami made the chef focus back on the game, hearts in his eyes. I considered using this weakness of his to manipulate him into cooperating with the swordsman before I decided it was much more interesting to watch if they discovered such a thing on their own. Nami tried to act out my thoughts, to little success.

They were caught in the giant's ploy to gain time, the other two Groggy Monsters returning to the field. Once again, our crewmates were pummeled to the ground, this time Zoro's life on the line as an elbow guard was posed to crush his ribs. When struck, he stopped all movements, lying on the ground as Sanji was thrown back into the air. A midair attack and he too stopped moving before he was slammed into the ground nearby the swordsman.

The matched seemed to be over, neither man moving. The announcer started to announce the win when they began to stir and stood up, looking quite annoyed. A smile came to my lips. So they were fine. But would their annoyance at the enemy be enough to make them cooperate?

Foxy stood up, shouting to the Groggy Monsters, "Give me a monster burger," The crowd's reaction was immediate, shock and a touch of horror. Nami seemed confused.

"What?" she inquired. My gaze was on the shocked crowd.

"Look at their reactions," I commented, wondering what would make the rowdy crowd so horrified. My question was answered quickly, when the announcer said that it meant certain death. The stakes had once again been raised on the men. I wondered if it would be enough to make them cooperate or if they would die for their stubbornness. If they were to die, it would be a true disappointment. Sanji was quite amusing in his antics that hid his true self but surely he wasn't so stubborn as to die for a rivalry. As for Zoro, I had given him too much credit in my expectations of him if he would die over something such as this, to die without achieving the goal he worked so hard towards.

The Groggy Monsters rushed forward, brandishing their new weapons that would make a body a pile of mushy goo, going for Mr. Cook first. He dodged quiet well before counterattacking, sending one of them to in between the giant's pans, squashing him flat. The other rushed at him, wishing to exact revenge. Mr. Swordsman blocked him before sending him off with a spin. He crashed into the giant, slicing the fish man's belly while Sanji took care of the back side.

One of the Groggy crew's teammates rushed forward, but he was sent flying by Sanji, knocking him into the referee. Nami grinned beside me, subtly hiding red cards behind her back. When the referee attempted to pull the disqualification cards on Sanji, it wasn't there.

"Looking for these?" Nami teased. I gave her a sideways glance.

"Bad girl," I scolded her lightly. She just sent a grin at me and pocketed the cards. My attention turned back to the fight in time to see the men finally working together to fall the last member of the Groggy Monsters, the giant fish man. It was clear that we were the winners of this match, even before the giant went flying towards the goal. Unbidden, a genuine smile came to my lips as the rest of the crew shouted out in victory.

Chopper burst out in tears, delighted to be returning to the crew no doubt, although the woman we had raced against in the barrel race was holding onto him tightly. It didn't matter much to me, however, for if she wouldn't let go of the poor doctor, I was certain someone in the crew would force this action. Nami tricked the referee once again, which resulted in the official call of our win. The boys slowly strode back to us, faces serious until they reached the crew.

Sanji, as expected, raced over to greet Nami and I, asking us if we had seen his awesomeness. I smiled at him lightly, in good spirits.

"Good job," I complemented. Nami was silent, although she was grinning. He began to sway around again, blabbering something which I blocked out. My gaze went to Zoro to congratulate him on the victory as well but found him busy talking to Usopp. I turned my attention to where the captain was deciding on which crewmember to take. But the decision was clear. Chopper would be chosen.

….

I watched Luffy finish off Foxy with a smile on my face. The determination within the captain had been the same when he fought with Crocodile but it had been much easier to watch this time. Knowing Luffy, he would win this fight, something which seemed to be a dream when he fought Crocodile. Then again, however, Crocodile had been a much more difficult opponent, one which could not be killed. Foxy seemed to be more off an annoyance who used his powers in a difficult to defeat way but still beatable. Or perhaps it had been the power of the afro which had won this fight.

The crew once again began to celebrate in a way only they could. Sanji tried his best to hug Nami but was beaten down without a glance. The navigator turned to me with a grin, as if making sure I was also happy. I smiled back before something on the deck of the ship caught my attention. The captain had finally fallen.

We rushed to the ship, Zoro grabbing the captain and taking him to land, not the slightest bit of worry in his pose. Chopper was another story as he caught sight of the captain's injuries. As soon as Zoro set Luffy down, the little doctor got to work, concern very clear in his posture. Nami also seemed to be worried. Usopp started to poke Luffy, telling him how much he was worrying everyone.

Luffy's eyes opened and a flood of words burst from his mouth, mostly worry that he had lost the game until the swordsman set him straight. The captain collapsed into the grass with a deep breath before he began laughing. I couldn't help but to join in, especially when the rest of the crew tried to convince each other they hadn't been worried at all.

Foxy walked over after a while to tell Luffy to choose the crewmember they wished to pick. They introduced the carpenters of the ship but the captain chose their flag instead, which surprised even me. When we had talked about distributing the treasure gained in Skypiea he had seemed focused on finding a carpenter to fix the Going Merry. But perhaps he wished to find a crewmember that would join us by choice, not by force.

Depression quickly spread through the Foxy pirates, which was not surprising since a pirates flag was their pride, or at least that is what was believed. Foxy seemed more concerned about being without a sail, however, until Luffy offered to draw them a new symbol. Nami began to laugh under her breath at that suggestion. I turned to her, curious.

"What is it, Miss Navigator?" I inquired. She shot an evil glance at the Foxy Pirates.

"You'll see," she murmured. I stared at her for a moment before turning my attention back to where Luffy had begun to draw the symbol. It became obvious why she had begun to laugh rather quickly, the captain didn't have very many skills in drawing. The Foxy crew didn't seem very happy with the result, sulking in disappointment as they sailed away, ending the games.

The crew was all smiles as we walked to the old man's hut, Luffy carrying the Foxy flag. I was slightly anxious to move on to the next island, since there very obviously was no ancient civilization on these islands. But, knowing the rest of the crew, we would stay at this island for the rest of the night and relax before moving on. With any luck, the old man would be able to share some history of the island before we left.

Luffy presented the flag to old man with a smile, telling him how the fight had resulted. The old man smiled. It was worth the worry and concern that the games had put us through to see that grateful face. A smile came to my lips. It would never cease to amaze me how much the captain cared for everyone we met, no matter who they were. It had been a long time since I had been around such a person, probably dating back to when I had first met Saul. Perhaps that was the legacy of the D. line, greatness in rank with a carefree attitude.

The old man proceeded with inviting us into the house, leading us around the hut to the entrance where he abruptly ran into something. My breath instantly went from my lungs as I caught sight of the figure before us. The others didn't notice, moving forward to talk to the extremely tall man in front of the hut. My chest was constricting, each breath more and more difficult to take.

I saw the other's mouths moving but heard nothing, a cold sweat breaking out all over my body, my breath turning into shallow gasps, heart fluttering in my chest like a caged bird. The image of Saul slowly turning into ice, Ohara burning in the distance filled my mind as I fell down. I vaguely noticed the crew tensing up but my attention was fully on the marine admiral before me.

His lips began to move but I still couldn't hear the words, heart pounding in my head like a hammer. Luffy turned to me, shouting something before Aokiji said something once again. My heart slowed down gradually, taking comfort in the crew mates around me, the relaxed pose of Aokiji. He had yet to move and was laughing. My hearing gradually returned to me, as I forced myself to calm down, convincing myself I wasn't in any danger.

"…I'm only here for a walk," Aokiji was explaining. It didn't seem to relax my crewmates in the least. Zoro was the most tense out of all the crewmembers, on the edge of attacking.

"Ordered?" he demanded. "Who do you work for?" Aokiji simply stared down at him calmly. I forced myself to speak.

"The marines," I replied unsteadily, trying to compose myself. "He's a supreme admiral of the marine head-quarters," Shock spread through the crew. Sanji had begun to look as unsteady as I felt as he questioned in disbelief the rank of the man before us. I quickly explained matters to him, my voice thankfully becoming calmer as I spoke, overcoming my initial fear.

Aokiji didn't seem to be listening as he began to flirt with Nami, who was shaking in poorly hidden terror. Sanji and Usopp freaked out, disbelieving my information. I didn't listen to the conversation, focusing on Aokiji so I would at least be prepared for if he was leading the crew on. The rest of the crew slowly relaxed as Aokiji talked, telling them that he was just there to check and see if I had indeed joined the crew. They relaxed even more, with the exception of Luffy; when he lay down to take a nap, too lazy to even add up the bounties.

Luffy began to try and attack the admiral until the rest of the crew held him down, telling him not to pick a fight. I forced myself to put on a calm face. I felt a wave of happiness wash over me when he gave the reason that he wasn't going to let Aokiji take me away. When the crew wouldn't allow him to do so, he began to demand that Aokiji left. Aokiji simply changed the subject, telling the old man to leave the island while the crewmembers argued with him the impossibilities of it. I cut in halfheartedly to simply stop the argument.

"It's true," I murmured. "With his help, it's possible." Luffy stared at me in confusion, not understanding the terrifying abilities the man before him was more than capable of wielding.

Not too much longer, all of the old man's belongings were set to go and we sat by the sea. Luffy was now treating Aokiji like a friend and I had calmed down considerably. I still hung at the back of the group, however, watching him carefully. Just because he wasn't about to attack us at the moment, didn't mean that he wouldn't.

Aokiji kneeled by the side of the water, not even noticing a sea king coming at him as he froze the water. I watched with hidden discomfort, knowing the terrible purposes that ice could also have. At the crews surprised expressions, I found myself explaining quietly, staring at the sea king, trying to shake off the thoughts of Saul.

Soon after, the admiral walked away to my relief, as the old man began his journey across the ice to find his people. My relief was cast away quickly when we found him a distance away, sitting down calmly. A nervous discomfort spread across my body at the sight of him, suspicion setting it. He had no reason to stay here so why was he waiting for us so calmly? Unless, perhaps, he had only helped send the old man because he didn't want him to witness him attacking and possibly killing the crew for helping me.

My lungs clenched slightly when he began to talk, speaking to Luffy about his grandfather. I had the sudden urge to run in the other direction, sensing this wasn't a good situation to be in. My fears were confirmed when he spoke of killing the crew, right then and there. He explained his reasoning to us and as he did, my fears increased. My heart stopped in my chest when he ended it, as it came back to the danger I had brought on the crew by joining it, as he began to explain the general story of my past that I had tried to keep hidden to the crew.

To my surprise as well as horror, the crew began to defend me against the accusations. The horror reflected itself on my face as he continued to tell them that every group I had been with had been annihilated. He continued to question me, the crew defending me every step of the way.

I caught sight of the rest of the crew with the side of my vision, at their annoyed faces, at how much they truly wished to defend me. But they didn't deserve this, they never had. My temper rose within me. I was being a fool, the crew would never want me on the ship again after this, not after hearing my past, my curse. The least I could do was to save them from being destroyed by Aokiji, to attack him long enough to let them flee from me, to leave me to die like so many others before them. The only think I didn't understand was why I wanted to start crying as I crossed my arms over my chest, why I didn't want to lose this crew.

"What are you trying to do?" I screamed at Aokiji. "You want to arrest me? Come get some! Treinta Flores!" Hands rose out of the ground to grab the admiral. Usopp yelled at me to stop.

Aokiji stared at me for a moment before chastising me on not being smart about this. I ignored him the best I could. "Clutch!" I cried. He shattered into a million ice shards. Usopp was suddenly all for running away. I hoped the rest of the crew would do so to leave me to the fate which I deserved, that I had deserved a long time ago.

By the time he re-formed, the rest of the crew hadn't budged at all, just stood behind me in shock. Aokiji acted quickly, forming a blade out of ice and swung it at me with the intent to kill. I knew I had no chance of stopping it. I just hoped he would leave the crew alone once I was dead. But the impact never came, just the sound of blade meeting blade. My gaze widened when I found Zoro defending me, stopping Aokiji's blade. More surprise came when Sanji and Luffy joined in to help but that faded away into concern when the admiral began to freeze them slowly.

They all fell to the ground when he was done, leaving me once again undefended and even more open than before, the shock freezing me in place almost as well as the ice would have.

"You've got some good friends this time, but you're still yourself, Nico Robin," the admiral told me. I tried to deny quickly, to tell him to leave the rest of the crew alone.

"You're wrong. I have…" I was cut off as he leaped at me, embracing me in a hug that began to freeze my body. "I'm…" My words were lost as the ice reached my head. The last thoughts in my head were of Saul and how ironic it was that I would die the same way he had, so long ago.


	7. I Won't Endanger Them

**A/N:** Hi! So I'm posting slightly early. Thank you to everyone who reviewed and such. Hope everyone enjoys!

Rejecting Freedom

Chapter 7

I Won't Endanger Them

It was warm, so warm as I woke up, the lower half of my body still cool. My eyes were still closed, my body not wishing to work as if it was still encased in ice. My heart was beating, air returning to my lungs. I took a deep breath, taking in all the air I could.

"Robin?" came the little doctor's voice, filled with concern. I forced my eyes open revealing the familiar image of the inside of the Going Merry. Chopper stood next to me, worry clear in his eyes. Water was flooding the bathroom around us, even trickling out of the door. I scanned the rest of the room quietly although Chopper was trying to say something to me. My gaze caught another frozen shape in the bathtub and I stared at it for a moment before the realization that it was Luffy shook me. My gaze went back to Chopper.

"What happened?" I inquired softly. He stared at me for a moment before bursting out in tears. I frowned and picked him up, embracing him into a tight hug. "It's okay, Mr. Reindeer, everything is fine." I murmured. He continued to sob before hugging me back, snot now running down his face.

Several minutes later he composed himself and pulled away staring up at me with wide eyes, "You were frozen!" he exclaimed. "I didn't know if I could save you!" The tears returned. I forced a comforting smile.

"I doubt there's any condition you can't fix somehow, Chopper," I murmured. He stared up at me again, an uncertain look appearing in his eyes before he smiled weakly.

"You won't make me happy by saying that at all, you bastard," he told me, although his heart wasn't in it completely. I laughed lightly, helping recover the little doctor's spirits a slight bit more. Before either of us could say anything more, a light breath was heard, as if someone was breathing for the first time. Both of our gazes shot to Luffy.

The captain's eyes were not open but his chest was now rising up and down, the last of the ice sliding off his body. Chopper saw it and rushed over, checking his vital areas. When he was done, he turned off the water and turned to me, a relieved expression on his face. "He's okay," he gasped. I gave him a grin before he dashed off, yelling to the rest of the crew who no doubt were waiting outside the doors.

When he returned, Zoro was behind him, his eyes darting to the captain in an instant. Chopper changed into his larger form and picked me up gently, as if he was afraid of hurting me further. The swordsman went to Luffy before picking him up and striding out the cabin, expression calm, not even showing a hint of worry.

"Are you alright, Robin?" Chopper inquired of me. I nodded.

"I'm fine, Mr. Reindeer," I murmured. He seemed relieved and walked out of the room with me, onto the deck. As expected, the rest of the crew waited outside of the door. Nami caught my attention first, her face filled with worry parallel to in Skypiea. It slid away from her in an instant, however, when she saw my eyes were open. Sanji began to swoon at me, although I ignored his blabber. Usopp was rushing after Zoro, trying to see Luffy's condition. Overall, the mood was sober and filled with fear.

Guilt washed over me in that instant, along with the knowledge that I had brought this fate down upon the crew. No fear would have filled this ship, only joy at winning the competition and not losing any crewmates. Luffy wouldn't have been in an injured state. I wouldn't make myself regret getting on the ship in the first place, but I did regret not staying in Skypiea. There had been another way to get down from the clouds, surely and I should have taken it, not risked the life of the crew over my past. It was something I would not do again.

Chopper re-entered the ship then, setting me down on a pre-arranged bed. Zoro had already set Luffy down and was now covering him with a sheet in a rather tender way, for him. Chopper did the same service for me, inquiring once again if I was okay. I nodded silently and stared at the ceiling. My time with the crew had ended. As long as I stayed with them, the danger would follow.

I would need to leave them soon but I would need to be clever about it. I was certain none of the crew, especially the captain, would allow me to leave the crew simply because of the attack. Either I would have to simply disappear without a trace for them to follow or I would need to convince them that I hated them all, that I would rather die than be with them at all. If only it was as easy as it sounded.

"Robin-swaaaannnn, I made a special drink for you," Sanji's voice sang to me, a cup appearing above my head along with the cook's face, hearts for eyes. I simply stared up at him, not reacting before I forced a smile.

"Thank you, Mr. Cook," I told him. I forced myself to sit, Sanji withdrawing back slightly. I took the drink without a word, the heat warming up my hands in a wonderful way. He moved to sit next to me, watching me silently, hearts fading from his eyes. There was no doubt in my mind that he was now making sure that I was drinking it, that I enjoyed it.

I took a sip of it and was delighted to find it was black coffee, although it wasn't as plain as I liked it. A creamy texture and a minty taste flavored the drink, along with the slightest hint of alcohol. It helped take my mind off the darker thoughts in my mind and relax me. As I brought the cup away from my lips, my gaze went to the cook. He was still watching silently.

"It's excellent," I murmured to him. His gaze didn't shift at all, concern still in his eyes carefully hidden. I took another sip of the drink before setting the cup down beside me. Sanji's revealed eye followed it and he stiffened slightly when he noticed that some of the drink still lay inside. But I ignored it, knowing he would be fine as long as I finished the beverage eventually.

"Is something wrong with it?" he inquired. I shook my head with a sense of false amusement. He seemed confused, probably because he was unable to feel how hollow and guilty I was feeling at the moment.

"Not at all, I simply wished to thank you for protecting me from Aokiji," I replied. He was silent for a moment which surprised me. He was being quite serious about this matter, not bothering to spew fluff about how he would protect me no matter what.

"You should drink before it grows cold," he finally told me with an even tone. He took out a cigarette and lit it, gaze turning to Zoro who sat behind Luffy, keeping guard on the captain. Within moments his gaze was back upon me. Chopper was nowhere in sight. I picked back up the coffee, knowing I wouldn't get anything out of the cook until I finished it while Sanji smoked.

I set the empty cup back down while Sanji watched in silence. He didn't move as my thoughts began once again, this time drifting off to Saul. He had told me that I would find nakama on the seas and perhaps he had been right. If anyone were to be nakama to me, it would be this crew. The only thing that Saul hadn't counted on was that I could never have nakama as long as my past followed me, haunted me.

Or had he possibly meant something else? If he had, I was unable to understand his words. There was no reason to bother anyone who I saw as my nakama with my sins, no reason for them to die trying to save me. I had already let Saul die to save me and he would be the last person I cared about that I would let die for me and me only. The thought made all the memories I kept suppressed rise up, making my eyes itchy, the feeling before tears came. I suddenly had the urge to laugh, to make the sadness fade, as Saul had taught me to do when things were bad.

My eyes closed, forcing the coming tears back, making it so they had no way to come out. I would not express such things in front of the crew, not show that the day's events had affected me and brought up bad memories. If I did, I doubted I would be able to leave the crew, for they would watch more than ever. Unfortunately, having my eyes closed made me unsteady, unconsciousness threatening.

A light touch on my back and the feeling of leaning against something made my eyes open slowly. I looked behind me to find Sanji, a semi-calm expression on his face, hearts threatening to appear for his eyes. For a moment, I considered moving away from him and simply laying down instead before letting him have the moment. I would move away in a little bit but, for now at least, it was the least I could do since I would be leaving the crew soon. My eyes closed once again and I allowed myself to relax but to not fall asleep.

"Oi, Ero-cook, shouldn't you start dinner?" Zoro asked harshly after a few seconds. I felt Sanji stiffen although he didn't move. Nor did he reply to the swordsman, as if he was trying to ignore him. "Oi, dart-brow!" Zoro demanded, this time louder. There was silence for a moment.

"What do you want, Marimo?" he shot back.

"Shouldn't you be starting dinner?" The swordsman re-asked, this time sounding irritated. The cook continued to bristle.

"Why, you shitty swordsman, you hungry?" he snarled back. I recognized the beginnings of a fight between them. But it wasn't anything of importance to me, so I began to ignore it as it escalated.

It was all a background noise until I heard the swordsman rise with a "You want to start something, you damn cook?" My eyes opened slowly so I would be able to move away from the cook and not get in the middle of the men's fight. Zoro was towering over Sanji, one hand on the white hilt. Sanji was glaring up at him until he noticed my eyes were now open.

"You woke up Robin-chan," he accused at the swordsman, who scoffed.

"So what?" he asked. "She probably couldn't relax near a pervert like you anyways," The swordsman met my gaze, an oddly annoyed tinge in his eyes, very obviously directed at me. I pulled away from the cook and lay down on the bed.

"Thank you, Mr. Cook," I murmured. The annoyance directed at the swordsman above him vanished in an instant as he began to babble about being there for me whenever, swaying back and forth.

Zoro scoffed at his actions. The annoyance in the cook's eyes returned and instants later, they started to fight, as predicted. Nami entered the room seconds later.

"What are you two doing?" Nami's voice demanded before hitting both men on the head. Her gaze went to me, a smile coming to her face. She sent one more annoyed glance at the men before sitting next to me, taking the cook's former spot. "Stupid men," she cursed before her tone brightened. "How are you feeling, Robin?" she inquired.

"Much better," I replied softly. Relief spread over her face and she seemed on the edge of asking me something further when Zoro cut in.

"What the hell was that for?" he complained. She simply glared at him. It was enough to make him back off and sit back down near Luffy, muttering to himself. Nami smiled to herself before noticing Sanji still in the room, his face almost a pout.

"Sanji, go start dinner," she ordered. He forgot his qualms in an instant.

"Yes, Nami-san," he replied before leaving the cabin, hearts in his eyes, once again swaying back and forth. Nami sighed and turned her attention back to me.

"If you don't mind me asking, Robin, how do you know Aokiji?" she inquired. I frowned before covering it quickly. It was something I didn't really wish to share. Zoro's gaze flickered towards us before going back towards Luffy, although I doubted that he wasn't still eavesdropping.

"He almost caught me once before," I told her, knowing it wasn't exactly the truth but I wasn't about to share about how he had spared me only because Saul wished it. The subject was too painful, too personal to share, especially when I was about to leave the crew. Nor was I about to bring up my mother or the historians who helped raise me. Luckily, Nami didn't pursue it further.

"Oh," she said, disappointment tingeing her tone. Then she seemed to realize something. "Why would you have an admiral chasing after you? There are many pirates that are more dangerous than you," I considered changing the subject, to avoid this whole subject but decided not to. While Nami might not notice the change, I had no doubt in my mind that Zoro would notice the shift and once again grow suspicious of me.

"The World Government fears the Lost History," I told her softly. "They'll do anything to stop it from being discovered," She frowned.

"Why would they care about history?" she inquired. "What damage can the past do to them?" I stared at her for a moment. I could share the truth with her but if she was to get involved and the World Government found out once I left, she would enter danger as well.

"I'm not sure, Miss Navigator. I only know they do not want that past to come out," I murmured. She still looked confused but said nothing. Zoro's expression was thoughtful. I used the opportunity to avoid more questioning. "I'm going to get some rest,"

She nodded sympathetically. "Of course," she replied. "If you need anything, I'll be right here," I smiled at her and closed my eyes, pretending to go to sleep.

Why would the World Government care about history? I doubted they would care about it if it didn't involve a dirty secret about their past. It always disappointed me to find out how many cultures did not care about their own past, what their ancestors did in their time. When they did so, they also lost life lessons never learned from the past's mistakes. There was so much potential knowledge lost and it was a true pity.

No, I doubted the World Government really cared about history, not when they destroyed it and its people so easily. Thousands of years of history were stolen from the world in the attack, everything burned to the ground. The only place that cared about history was ironically the only place wiped from history. Or at least it was. The only one who had a chance of preserving Ohara's history was me and me alone. If I was forgotten, wiped away by the World Government, Ohara truly would be no more. I couldn't let it happen.

"What were you and Sanji fighting over this time?" Nami's voice suddenly whispered a touch of annoyance in it. I continued to breathe normally; interested that she would start a conversation, probably assuming I had fallen asleep.

"Nothing," Zoro's voice grumbled. Nami growled lightly.

"Next time I find you two fighting over nothing, I'm going to raise your debt," she warned. "You get on my nerves,"

"What?" he asked, his voice almost a yell of outrage. A pained grunt followed.

"Be quiet," she hissed. "Robin is trying to sleep," Her breathing grew closer, as if she was checking to make sure I hadn't been disturbed by his outburst.

Zoro scoffed, although it sounded quiet, as if he was trying to keep his noise level down. "As if I care," he muttered. Nami laughed under her breath.

"You seemed to care quite a bit when Eneru attacked her. If you didn't care, you wouldn't have been so mad or caught her. And then when Aokiji…" Nami's words were suddenly muffled.

"Don't say anything," came Zoro's voice. Moments later her voice was again clear along with a short laugh.

"Is there some reason you don't want anyone to know, Zoro?" she mocked. There was a short pause, although there was no speech, just another cruel laugh from Nami. "You know, if you want me to keep your secret, it will cost you,"

Zoro's reply came swiftly. "I don't have any money left, you witch," he growled.

"Oh, there's no issue," Nami told him sweetly. "I'll just take your share of the treasure," Zoro began to sputter in clear outrage. Nami laughed again. "Or would you rather I told Robin about it," her tone was now clearly serious. There was silence for a few moments.

"Fine," he grumbled, although it was rather hesitant. It was quite obvious he didn't want me to know about this event. Although it was quite interesting that he would care enough to act when Eneru attacked me. Yet, it was odd that he would grow angry as well, especially since he seemed to always keep his calm no matter what. It was a piece of information to file away for later, to analyze at a further time, perhaps to confront him on at a later time.

I was snapped out of my thoughts by a loud bellow of "FOOOOOOOOOOOOOD!". I carefully kept my eyes closed, to insure that Nami and Zoro would not know I had not fallen into a deep sleep. There was a soft, relieved sigh from Nami and I assumed that the captain was now awake and not just shouting for food in his sleep.

"Where's Aokiji? Is Robin okay?" Luffy's voice was suddenly babbling quickly. It paused after a moment, along with the sound of very loud moment. I was suddenly aware of someone above me. "Robin?" the voice asked, with clear worry.

"She's just resting," Nami's soft voice came. The presence above me went away instants before I heard the door open and Sanji's voice.

"Nami-swaaaannnn, I brought you dinner!" he sang. His voice then lost any flavor, "Yours is in the kitchen, Marimo," It was quite obvious that he hadn't seen that the captain was up, probably too busy staring at Nami to care.

"FOOOOD!" Luffy cried out once again instants before a loud thud vibrated through the floor.

"Chopper is bringing up food for you," Sanji commented, probably to Luffy, sounding irritated. His footsteps grew closer along with the delicious aroma of food.

"Thanks," Nami toned. Sanji started his typical babble about her loving him soon after but there was only the sound of her eating, probably ignoring him as I was. The sound of the door opening followed, along with the doctor's voice.

"Luffy? What happened to you? Someone call a doctor!" he said frantically.

"You are the doctor," Usopp's voice came from near the door. "I brought your food, Zoro," There was a light thanks from the swordsman before Usopp launched into a story about defending the food against a giant bird who had almost carried him away until he miraculously was able to defeat it and bring the food here almost completely intact, although it was missing some items. For some reason, the swordsman didn't believe the sniper and began to beat on him for eating some of his food.

I fell asleep for a few moments, drifting off completely, before I opened my eyes. Nami was the first to notice, still sitting near me, watching me as carefully as Zoro was watching Luffy, although the captain was sitting, stuffing his face with any and all food nearby him. She said nothing, however, just glanced over at Sanji.

I sat up slowly, quickly scanning the room. All of the crew was within the room, eating rapidly, with the knowledge that if they did not, they would soon lose their food. But the mood was oddly sober for a mealtime, silent and unyielding. Usually it would be filled with conversation and jibes between the swordsman and the cook. Today there was none and I found myself missing it instantly.

The captain was the second to notice I was awake, eyes darting over, mouth full of food. "Wobin!" he exclaimed. I smiled at him and stood while the rest of the crew noticed I was in fact awake as well. Before they could question me on my well-being, I walked out of the room, only partially aware of them calling after me. For some reason, I suddenly felt like just being alone, to get some fresh air.

Nami followed me out in an instant. "Are you feeling okay?" she inquired. I nodded at her silently.

"Of course," I murmured. "Just getting some fresh air," For some reason she frowned at that. I ignored it, thinking it not to be important in the least as I strode outside, where the sun was setting in front of the ship. Nami followed me hesitantly, yet stopped just inside the cabin, as if sensing I wanted to be alone for a moment.

I walked to the top deck, my fingers brushing the leaves of the orange trees, drops of dew touching me. Behind us the sky was growing darker, the first few stars appearing over the island. The scene was quite serene and peaceful and normally I would have appreciated the view but not now. Not when ice was visibly sticking up above the grass, the sunset reflected in the crystals. Not when a sea king, frozen solid, was visible in my mind, frosted over like my worst memories.

I ended up sitting upon the railing, feet dangling over the side closest to the water, watching the tide glistening. The water wasn't deep over here, and I was aware that if I fell I would be fine, that I wouldn't drown. It wasn't like at the front of the ship, where if I sat where Luffy perched so precariously and fell. And yet, it was odd that the riskier side was brighter upon the ship, filled with more danger and reward. It was still something I could not, would not risk.

After it grew dark, I made my way down to the kitchen, picking through the refrigerator for some leftovers and making some coffee. This time it was plain black coffee, not tainted with any other flavor. I placed the leftovers on a plate and slowly went back upstairs. Luffy was now sprawled out on his bed, covers only partial upon him as he snored lightly. Sanji and Usopp were asleep on the floor with Zoro asleep in his guarding position of Luffy. Nami was asleep nearby my bed, leaning against the wall. Chopper was on the opposite side of the room, partially stirred herbs next to him.

I gave all of them a small smile and sat down on my makeshift bed, taking a short sip of my coffee. I ate my meal in silence, enjoying it nice and slow now that there didn't seem to be a danger of it being stolen by the captain. I was simply happy that Sanji didn't wake up, even after I had finished the meal, knowing that he would insist on cooking something warm for me and giving the leftovers to one of the other men on the ship.

When I was done with both my coffee and dinner, I set them off to the side and crawled into the bed, tucking myself into the covers, waiting for the want of sleep to come. Unsurprisingly, the sensation was hard in coming, as it often was and I stared at the ceiling for a long while, thinking about how to escape the crew. When sleep came, it was restless.

…

I woke with a start; the image of Saul being froze over, Ohara burning in the distance in my mind. I controlled my breathing quickly, keeping away the deep intake of breath that would give my fear away. I pushed my body up and scanned the room, finding with relief that the rest of the crew still slept. They had had enough of a burden saving me today to be worried about my dreams.

Even so, I doubted that I would be able to sleep anymore tonight. The memories wouldn't flee anytime soon, as I had found from past experiences but the urge to flee my current companions would increase. My gaze scanned the room once more before I left the room, taking my coffee cup and plate with me. Thankfully, none of the crewmembers stirred as I left.

It was still dark outside, the stars twinkling overhead as I went outside, a new cup of coffee in hand. Although it was odd to not see anyone on guard, it was also a blessing since they would no doubt question why I was up. For a moment, I wondered why no one was on guard but with the entire ruckus the day brought, it wasn't truly a surprise. Guarding the ship was probably the last thing on everyone's minds.

I scanned the deck quickly, appraisingly, trying to decide where to go. There were several options that I had, my favorite typically being the crow's nest. Tonight, however, I did not think the view would calm my mind, especially if any ice or worse, the iced up sea king still remained. My gaze stopped on the figurehead that the captain always enjoyed, although it was filled with danger.

Without thinking very much, I walked up to the head of the Going Merry and brushed my hand against it. My gaze went to the water below, to the deadly level of sea if I were to fall. Ever so slowly, I climbed up to the top of the figurehead and sat on a whim. The captain was able to recover after almost being killed by an admiral so quickly, something I was unable to do. I couldn't help but wonder if Saul would have reacted similarly, just shaking it off with a laugh.

My gaze went to the water before me. I had to admit, there was more freedom on the figurehead than anywhere else on the ship. It was easy to see why the captain enjoyed this place more than any other.

My thoughts turned back to Saul, unbidden as I watched the water, as they had much too often. He had stayed on Ohara for my sake, making up the excuse of wanting to make a flag. If he had left when he had been ready, there was a chance that he would still be alive. And yet, I had only survived because he had stayed. I had survived because he had asked Aojiki to let me and for no other reason.

But I couldn't depend on that anymore. Aokiji had forgotten why he had let me live or perhaps he was hoping I would find a place to belong, as Saul wanted. It was only a matter of time before he found the crew again and set up an attack with or without the marines. The thought was reoccurring; I needed to leave the crew as soon as I could. If only I was as certain about being able to leave the crew.

From what I knew of Nami, she had tried to leave the crew once before, tied down by the pirate who had overtaken her home. Luffy and the others had followed, freeing her from the holds, not allowing her to just abandon the crew. It was clear that Luffy would try to do the same service for me if I left. But a simple pirate was easy to defeat. My problems were much too great for him to save me. The World Government would crush the crew without even blinking, just as they had done on Ohara.

There was nothing that I wished more than to stay with crew, I realized the more I thought about it. I didn't want to leave them, to leave the first real happy place I had since the attack on Ohara. I wanted there to be some way that the crew could free me, to complete the impossible, as they had done in Alabasta. But Crocodile was nothing close to the might the World Government had behind them. I couldn't depend on a miracle to save me; I wouldn't risk the crew in that way.

"Dereshi, Dereshi," The laughing came out before I could stop it. My mood improved with it, however, so I didn't cut it off. I couldn't show the crew how much I was hurting, couldn't show them that I didn't want to leave. "Dereshi, Dereshi," I buried my head into my legs to muffle it, closing my eyes slowly to insure no tears came out of my eyes. I felt my balance shifting on the figurehead, my laughing shaking it. I used my devil's fruit ability to latch onto it tighter, insuring that I stayed upon it and didn't fall off into the cruel ocean, although a tiny voice in my head said that it would make things much simpler.

Laughter was still shaking my core when a voice cut through it. "Robin?" it asked, suspicion tingeing it. The laughter shut off automatically as I looked up, instantly composing myself as I gazed at the speaker.

"Mr. Swordsman," I addressed him, only vaguely seeing his form in the dark. "I thought you were asleep," His eyes narrowed.

**A/N:** Hmmm, perhaps it's a tad evil to stop there considering that I have the next chapter written…maybe I'll be nice and post the next chapter this week. Kinda depends on how much I write since I need to have another chapter ready just in case I'm lazy. In any case, I hoped everyone enjoyed and I would love some feedback on how characterization is for everyone, since it felt a little bit iffy, especially with Sanji.


	8. Life Isn't a Fairy Tale

**A/N:** So I decided to update early since I felt bad about the semi-evil cliffy and because I received such good reviews! Thanks to everyone and I hope you enjoy the chapter!

Rejecting Freedom

Chapter 8

Life isn't a Fairy Tale

"I decided to train," he murmured. I nodded and forced my gaze to over the ocean. It was still completely dark out, the stars glittering more than ever.

"I see," I replied. "It's a nice night, isn't it?" He grunted in reply. I expected him to go away after that, since he didn't seem to be in a talkative mood but there was no sound of him walking away as silence once again fell upon the deck. My gaze didn't move.

"You okay?" he suddenly inquired. I slowly turned to look at him, still as a statue upon the deck. I forced a smile.

"Of course, I just had a little trouble sleeping," I murmured back to him. The look he gave me made it obvious he didn't believe a word of it. One hand reached up to touch his head, scratching it uncertainly.

"Don't worry about today," he told me. "We already knew that you couldn't be trusted," I stared at him for a moment, my mood abruptly falling. Perhaps I wasn't as trustworthy in his opinion as I believed I currently was. For some reason, it hurt more than it should have and I was unable to find the words to reply, feeling uncomfortable. He seemed to notice it, although I thought I hid it well. He grimaced, looking slightly guilty. "Eh, when you joined the crew," he amended.

I smiled lightly. "No questioning my motives?" I asked, trying to force amusement into my tone, although it came out more bitter than anything. He didn't reply as he sat down on the railing next to the figurehead.

"You could have left the crew when we were distracting the admiral," he commented. A true smile came to my lips as I placed my fingers to my cheek.

"Perhaps I didn't see any danger in the situation," I pointed out. His expression didn't shift in the least, nor did he say anything in response. I took it to be disbelief. For some reason, he knew my words weren't true. And for some reason, I felt much better about the day, his makeshift comforting helping. That was, until I returned to the thought that I would need to leave the crew, that I wouldn't have others to support me in the bad times once again.

"Thank you," I murmured before getting up off of the figurehead. I thought I was able to banish all the sadness from my voice, hide it in my facial expressions but it didn't seem to work.

"If you're planning to leave the crew because of today, it won't work," Zoro called after me. I stopped and turned. "That idiot will make us chase after you," I forced a smile.

"It wasn't even in my mind," I replied smoothly before walking away. His gaze probed into my back as I left. I kept my walk steady as I went into my room and slowly chose a book. It ended up as a book of fairy tales from various countries. I had first purchased the book because of its historical value since fairy tales very often reflected the times in which they were written. Different cultures had different tales along with different time periods. But I had ended up keeping the book with me for the entertainment values of it.

When the book was chosen, I went back outside and sat in my typical chair, a candle in hand in order to read. Zoro was across the deck, closer than usual, lifting weights. I tried to ignore the fact his gaze was fixed upon me as I read, keeping a light smile on my face.

This process lasted until the stars began to disappear from the sky, the sun starting to rise over the ocean, except getting lost in the tales within the book was getting easier and easier. It was nice to read a tale which ended happily, with the fairy tale ending I would never have. There would be no hero coming to rescue me out of compassion and love. If one did, they would die before they could do anything.

I was so deeply enthralled by the book that I didn't notice the swordsman as he came over. "What are you reading?" he inquired. My gaze stayed on the pages.

"A collection of legends and fairy tales," I replied off-handily. He was silent for a moment. Curiosity of the reason why tore me away from the pages, my attention to them slipping as I looked up at the shirtless, sweaty swordsman before me. He seemed to be staring at the pages of my book, lost in thought, towel over his shoulder. "Is there something you need?" I inquired calmly.

"Eh, no," he replied, sounding confused or possibly surprised. His gaze went to the sky, making him grimace. "I need to go wake up the love cook," he mumbled before walking off. I watched him go for a moment before also rising, shutting my book softly and setting it down on my chair. It was about time for a new cup of coffee and to give Sanji some company, as I typically did in the mornings.

When I went into the kitchen, the cook wasn't there, as of yet. I simply began a new batch of coffee and sat down at the table, cracking my book back open. I had just begun to read when both men walked into the room. Sanji looked annoyed, not even noticing me as he stalked over to the kitchen and began to mix ingredients into a large bowl. Zoro followed him, seemingly on the edge of telling him something when he noticed my presence. He frowned for a moment before coming over and sitting at the table.

The room was completely silent except for the sounds of Sanji cooking and the wisp of the pages turning in my book. I finished my cup of coffee quickly, letting it comfort me in the uncomfortable silence. The cook still was in thought when I walked over to the kitchen to refill it. It was only then he noticed my presence in the room, fluttering around as he cooked, babbling nonsense which I ignored as always.

"Did you sleep well?" I inquired when he was done. His happiness increased, if it was possible.

"Robin-chan is so considerate!" he bubbled. I simply smiled, knowing I probably wouldn't be getting a serious answer from him. My gaze rested on the food that was being prepared, most of it almost complete.

"I'll go wake the others," I told him and left the room. When I reached the room that all the crew had slept in the night before, soft snores greeted me. Nami was now collapsed on my makeshift bed, a frown on her face. I woke her up first, tapping her on the shoulder. Her eyes opened blurrily.

"Hmmm, Robin? What is it?" she murmured, sounding half-asleep.

"It's time for breakfast," I replied as cheerily as I could. She blinked before stretching, her gaze going across the room. She clapped her hands.

"Alright, everyone get up," she called, in a slightly bossy way. "Time for breakfast!" Luffy was the first to react, jumping up in the air, and shouting about food before he rushed out of the room. Chopper reacted slower, yawning and practically crawling out of the room. Usopp rolled over, mumbled something about Captain Usopp and seemed to go right back to sleep. Nami stalked over him quickly. "Usopp, get up!" she scolded. He seemed to ignore her. I walked back to the kitchen.

When I reached the kitchen, Luffy was bothering Zoro, eyes on the food as if he thought he could sneak it out from under Sanji. I sat back down by my book, watching the actions of the crew. Chopper, who was busy watching the captain and first mate, moved over to sit next to me. He diverted his attention to me almost instantly, worry in his eyes.

"How are you feeling?" he inquired, gaze probing me to make sure everything was alright.

"Good," I told him. "There doesn't seem to be any effects from yesterday," Relief on his face was easier to read than a book.

"Are you sure?" he asked quietly. I nodded.

"Of course," I purred. "You did a good job," He simply blushed and squirmed around but said nothing at all. Luffy took advantage of Sanji's turned back as he began to start on something else, stretching to grab a piece of meat. Unfortunately, he was caught, one hand flattened to the countertop as Sanji turned around, one leg pinning the hand down. Luffy dropped the meat back on the plate and Sanji let his hand go. The captain pouted slightly, shaking his hand to inflate it while Zoro grinned at him.

Nami came in a few moments later, Usopp following after her. They both came and sat down at the table, Nami sitting on my other side, Usopp sitting next to Zoro. He began to tell a story to the men, catching Luffy's attention momentarily. Chopper left my side in an instant, eyes sparkling as he listened to Usopp's story.

Nami sighed next to me. "How are you doing this morning?" she inquired brightly.

"Good, Ms. Navigator. How are you?" I replied. She smiled, gaze darting to the book that lay on the table.

"I'd be better if certain men weren't so annoying the morning," she muttered. "You don't strike me as the type of person to read fairy tales," She reached out and flipped through the book. I tilted my head slightly.

"Really?" I inquired. "They tell so much about a culture's history," She left the book open on a picture of a knight and stared at it. She scoffed lightly.

"They're so ridiculous sometimes," she told me. "Not all princesses are that pathetic. Vivi didn't wait around for someone to save her and I don't need a prince to save me, " Even so, her gaze was light as she looked at the picture, a tad bit longing. I laughed lightly.

"Don't let Mr. Cook hear you say that. He had so much fun playing Mr. Prince in Alabasta," I commented. She smirked.

"I'm surprised you know about that," she told me. "But I suppose he did make problems for Crocodile," Her gaze darted to the man in question, his attention fully on a delicious looking cinnamon treat which was most likely for Nami or I.

"He was simply lucky Crocodile never found him, else he would have been a shriveled mummy," I replied. I could tell by her face that I had been too grotesque for her tastes, even if it was a light comment. She closed the book, staring at it.

"Would you mind if I read it?" she inquired. "I could use something to read," I lightly pushed the book in front of her.

"Of course," I said. She smiled at it as Sanji sauntered over, placing the cinnamon treat in front of both of us. Luffy's attention faded from Usopp's stories to the food. But before he was able to stretch out and snatch it, the cook was placing more food on the table. It was automatically snatched up by the crew. I took a sip of coffee and waited for Sanji to sit down as well. Nami simply moved my book off the table and began to dig in.

Sanji sat down next to me, the only empty place at the table and began to fill his plate. I did the same, knowing the food would soon be gone. Conversation began at the table just as soon. I simply listened to it, enjoying the different varieties of subject, the different flavors of speech, from Luffy's speech which came from around food to Usopp's bragging tone as he continued his story to Chopper. When Luffy tried to steal food as he often did, there was Nami's sharp tone while Sanji complemented her.

Only once this meal did Luffy try to steal my food. I defended it quickly, using my devil's fruit ability to bend back his wrist. He recoiled with a laugh while Sanji scolded him, getting much more annoyed than was necessary.

Zoro was the first to leave the table, most likely going back to training. Nami watched him go, looking outside at the growing light with a sigh as she looked at the log pose on her wrist. "We should get going to the next island," she said softly. Her gaze went to the captain, sniper and doctor. "You three help me get the ship ready!" she ordered.

"But I'm still hungry," Luffy whined. She sent him a sharp glance and he rose from the table dejectedly, slumping as he walked outside. Usopp and Chopper followed after him quickly. Nami gave me one last smile and went after them. Sanji lit up a cigarette and placed it in his mouth, relaxing slightly. My gaze went to the dirty dishes and without a word, I stood and began collecting them, using extra hands to get them all in one round.

"I'll get those later, Robin-chan," he protested, getting up. I simply used an extra hand to pull him back down onto his seat before sending him a bright smile.

"It's okay, Mr. Cook, I'll handle them," I told him. He stared at me, on the edge of protesting, struggling against the hand that held him down before simply sitting. When it was obvious he wasn't going to protest any more, I let the hand disappear.

It took only moments for me to clean all the dishes using some extra hands, drying them as well as putting them away. Sanji simply watched, at the edge of pouting, cigarette still in his mouth. When I was done, the ship began to move, gaining speed as time went on. I washed off the counters quickly and drained the sink. As soon as I was done, Sanji rose, looking like I had tortured him.

"Now that wasn't that bad, now was it?" I inquired with a small smile. He continued to pout before walking into the kitchen and starting to cook something. He regained his pose almost instantly, seemingly forgetting this very obvious dishonor I had put him through, in his eyes. I hid a smile as I walked outside to the normal sounds of the crew.

Luffy and Usopp sat near the railing, fishing poles out, the captain chanting, "Fish!" Chopper was watching them with wide eyes, crushing herbs into a pulp. Nami was over by Zoro with a scowl on her face. He seemed to be ignoring her, lifting weights. It seemed more interesting than watching the men fishing so I walked over.

"Are you listening to me? I don't want to find any more of your towels everywhere. They stink!" she berated. He grimaced.

"Yeah, I know," he grumbled. She stared at him in annoyance, not even noticing as I walked over.

"Next time I find one, I'll raise your debt," she warned. He seemed to be trying to focus on his workout, and not on her.

"Fine," he replied. She shook her head in exasperation and whirled around to face me. She jumped back slightly.

"Robin! I didn't know you were there," she exclaimed. A smile curved my lips.

"Its fine, Ms. Navigator, you were quite busy," I replied smoothly. She shot one more glance at the swordsman who was now counting out loud as he lifted. She sighed softly.

"I'm so glad you're on the ship, Robin. I'd hate be alone with all these stupid men," she confided.

"I'm sure you managed before I came," I replied. "You'd be able to manage just as well if I wasn't here," She frowned and stared at me with wide eyes. Zoro's head shifted ever so much, making it obvious he was listening. I smiled at her. "I admit it is nice to have another girl to talk to, though," She seemed relieved by my words.

"We still need to go shopping at the next port," she told me. "You'll have to help me choose some outfits," I nodded.

"I'd be happy to," I said lightly. Zoro scoffed very audibly, making it clear my suspicions that he was listening to us were accurate. Her head turned towards him with a glare before she grinned in a rather cruel way.

"Of course, we'll have to drag Zoro along since he seems to like the idea so much," she purred. He stopped lifting for a moment before going back as before. Her eyes gleamed at the lack of response. "Maybe we can get him some new clothes so he's not wearing the same disgusting thing all the time," There was still no reaction, which very clearly disappointed the navigator. I decided to help in the effort.

"Perhaps Mr. Cook would have some suggestions. He's always dressed so nicely," I told her, my expression calm. She smiled wickedly, shooting a glance at the swordsman who very visibly stiffened.

"That's an excellent idea. We could even bring Sanji with us to help," she said mockingly. That received the reaction she was wanting, making him turn around, and halt his lifting.

"Don't you dare!" he growled. Nami simply grinned sweetly at him but turned to me.

"Why, I believe he has some objections to our brilliant idea," she said to me, appearing hurt. I smiled brightly.

"It would appear so," I replied. He scowled at us, although it seemed much more directed at her.

"Evil witch," he grumbled. Before she could react, Sanji appeared, much to the swordsman's obvious displeasure, drinks on a platter, kneeling on the ground.

"I brought you some drinks, my angels," he toned, almost seriously. Nami stared at him for a moment. I simply took the drink.

"Thank you," I murmured. Nami took the other drink without a word, as she always did. He rose from the ground, swaying slightly, starting to babble about our beauty. Nami's gaze went to Zoro and then back to Sanji with an evil grin. She glanced over at me, as if asking if she should. I shook my head slowly. Her grin slipped and with that, Sanji walked away. She watched him go, a frown appearing.

My gaze went to the sky, at the cloudless sky, the sun shining down. It would be a beautiful day, by all accounts. Nami followed my gaze. She sighed lightly. "We're not going to move very much today. There won't be enough wind," I nodded.

"It would be an excellent day for you to do some mapmaking then," I suggested. A smile appeared on her lips, along with a touch of excitement. Her gaze went to the rest of the crew.

"I have to worry about them," she grumbled. "They won't leave me alone long enough to get anything done," I pitied her for a moment. Once I left the crew, I had no doubt she would be lost. There wouldn't be as many chances for her to work on maps, either.

"Take the day off," I ordered her sweetly. "I'll insure that no one bothers you. If they do, I'll simply hang them from the mast by their heels," She frowned at the end before a beautiful smile blossomed on her lips.

"Thanks," she murmured. She gave one uncertain glance around the deck before walking into the cabin, taking a sip of her drink as she went. I remembered mine in my hand and took a sip as well, walking in the same general direction. I took guard nearby, where I could watch the door with ease.

…

Luffy was the first member of the crew to try and disturb the navigator, playing hide and seek with Usopp and Chopper. I stopped him before he could enter, arms springing out of the ground to grab his feet. He looked at me in confusion. I pressed two fingers to my lips and pointed up at the crow's nest. He followed my gaze before nodding and propelling himself up into the air.

Usopp was the second and I diverted him the same way, this time pointing to Nami's orange trees. He hurried up to the area as well. Afterwards, neither of them tried to get into the door and the navigator was able to get some peace. I occupied myself by transferring notes from one of my books to my journal, making sure I was being quite specific.

Soon after, Sanji came on deck to tell everyone that it was time for lunch. While the rest of the crew rushed down into the kitchen, I knocked on the door to where Nami was working on her maps.

"Come in," she called. I opened the door slowly. She was sitting at her desk, glasses on as she sketched, not even bothering to look up.

"It's time for lunch," I told her lightly. Her hand stopped before she placed the quill back into the ink. She looked up with a smile.

"Already?" she inquired. I nodded. Her gaze went down to her map with a sigh, making it clear that she wanted to continue.

"If you would like, I'm sure Mr. Cook would bring you your food so you could continue working," I told her. She gazed at the map before shaking her head.

"No, that's okay. It will probably be good to take a break from it. I just hope it doesn't get destroyed when I'm not in here," she replied, taking off the glasses. I tilted my head.

"I could always bar the door and unbar it when you're done eating," I suggested. She seemed to think about it for a moment before smiling.

"That would be great," she said cheerfully, looking relieved as we left the room. I stopped outside the door, closed my eyes and let an eye and an arm appear inside the room. I moved the nearest chair and propped it against the handle, making it almost impossible for anyone other than myself to get in. When it was done, we walked down for food.

Everyone else was already sitting at the table, along with all the food, although no one had any on their plates. One glance at the cook made the reason clear, his gaze watching the others with a concealed threat. As soon as we sat down, the threat vanished and the crew took the food as energetic as normal.

Nami noticed the fairy tale book in the middle of meal, picking it up and setting in on the table. I noticed she was quite careful with it, protecting it from any and all food. She began to flip through the pages, reaching the first story and beginning to read. Chopper was the only one to notice it, finishing his food quickly to move across the table to peer at it.

"What are you reading, Nami?" he asked, straining to look at it. She turned to him with a smile.

"Fairy tales," she replied calmly. "I borrowed it from Robin," Chopper looked confused.

"Fairy tales?" he inquired. "What are those?" She stared at him in shock. I intervened.

"They're tales that ancient cultures made up," I replied. He stared up at me.

"What are they about?" he inquired. I quickly finished the rest of my food, knowing it would be wise to do so before the captain stole it from my plate.

"Various subjects. They very often involve love stories between nobles and commoners or heroes who come to others rescue. In some ways, they are similar to Mr. Long Nose's tales," I replied. Excitement came to his face along with a sense of wonder as he gazed at the book Nami was still reading, a light smile on her face.

"Really?" he inquired. I nodded, noticing that our conversation was now the topic of the table, everyone looking in our direction. Interest was in the captain's eyes while the same emotion was poorly hidden within the snipers. The swordsman's expression showed he wasn't a fan, that he found the whole conversation quite ridiculous. The cook seemed off in his own little world, a grin on his face.

The little doctor didn't notice it all, eyes still on the book before they darted back to me, hope in his eyes. "Can you tell me one, Robin?" he inquired. Luffy and Usopp's eyes went to me, the captain's eyes becoming excited. Nami sighed softly, probably seeing her time working on the map vanishing. I pursed my lips slightly. The captain assumed that it was going to be a no and jumped into the conversation.

"Please?" he pleaded, eyes showing the same expression as his tone. Nami suddenly grinned.

"How about this? Robin will tell you a story if no one, except me, leaves the room while she tells it," she said calmly. I smiled at the idea. Agreement from everyone except the swordsman came swiftly. He didn't seem to like the idea in the least.

"I have to train," he interjected. Nami glared at him.

"You can train down here, can't you?" she inquired coldly. He met her gaze stubbornly.

"I don't want to listen to some pathetic tale," he told her. Luffy began to stare at him, a growing pout on his face.

"Then take a nap," Nami told him. Before he could reply, Luffy was clinging onto him with wide eyes, starting to whine.

"But I want to hear it," he told the swordsman. "And if you don't stay here, Robin won't tell it. Please, Zoro," A smile curved my lips as Zoro began to look overwhelmed by the captain's pleading. When he didn't cave right away, Chopper went over to help.

"Okay, fine," the swordsman finally grumbled, not sounding happy about it at all. "Now get off me!" Luffy's mood improved drastically as he and Chopper began to celebrate. Nami smiled slowly.

"Good," she said. "Robin, could you open the door for me?" I didn't respond, just closed my eyes and undid the barrier I had made in the map room.

"All done, Ms. Navigator," I informed her. She took her drink with her and left the room, leaving me with the rest of the crew, who were all watching me in a rather unnerving way, although I didn't let it show. I simply walked to the other side of the room and sat in a chair. Luffy, Chopper and Usopp bounded after me, sitting on the floor quickly, ecstatic. Sanji went into the kitchen, stacking up dishes in soapy water before starting a drink of some sort. Zoro simply sat in the same place, looking grumpy.

"Story time, story time," Luffy was chanting before he noticed that the swordsman hadn't moved an inch, staring at him in disappointment before grinning and stretching an arm to grab him. Zoro's eyes widened in horror, realizing what was about to occur, before he was forcibly brought across the room, hitting the wall closest to the captain. He instantly began to chide Luffy, face red from impact, the wall thankfully undamaged. I ignored the conversation, trying to think of a satisfactory story to tell them, before deciding it would be best to ask them.

"What would you like to hear about?" I inquired softly. Luffy's attention left the swordsman in an instant.

They all bean to clamor at once, babbling about heroes, pirates, snipers and such. I thought about it for a moment before deciding on a particular one that I thought would be entertaining for them all. Sanji joined the group before I began to tell it, handing me a drink while exclaiming about how he would be my prince. I waited a few moments more, letting everyone settle down before I began.

The story I had decided upon was one not within the storybook I had lent to Nami but rather one I remembered from a history book that had been on Ohara. Of course, I hadn't remembered the story from that time, finding another copy of the book on my travels, much to my delight. I only hoped that I would be able to remember all the details, not that I thought they would notice if I forgot some.

"Once upon a time, on a winter island, there lived a race of seals that were said to be a race of people. Although they seemed different from other people, they lived the same way, with an underground palace in the sea. It was said, if they took off their seal skin, they could walk on land, looking the same as any other human. But if they took off the skin, they could not return to their home under the sea until they put it back on and then they could not return to the land for seven years. They were a beautiful race and many humans fell in love with them.

Within the seas, very close to this island, there also lived a great and noble pirate named White, who was famous throughout the world for his strength and will. At the time, he was simply traveling from island to island, on his way to what was thought to be the end of the sea. He had never been to the island of the seal-people but had heard of it and swore to visit it before he died, although he was quite young.

Our story begins the day he fulfilled his goal and landed on the island of the seal-people, expecting to see the overly lovely culture. Upon landing, White was disappointed to find that the people living on the island were normal, no more beautiful than any other. On the rocks near the shore, there were normal seals. Disappointed and annoyed, he threw the nearest rock at the seals, hitting the largest male seal and quickly sailing off the island.

That night, there was a terrible storm which tore White's ship to pieces and threw him into the ocean where he floated on a plank of wood. He woke up on the shore of the island he had just left, a beautiful woman leaning over him with a frown on her face, asking him if he was alright. Stunned for a moment at her beauty, he was on the edge of replying when he slipped back into unconsciousness.

When he awoke, he was within a hut, the same woman tending to a fire, her back to him. Upon noticing he was awake, the woman, whose name was Koko, explained to him how she had saved him and told him he may stay as long as he would like. He asked her about his ship, his crew and she only shook her head sadly.

For years, he stayed on the island, raising money so that he could return to the ocean, all the while staying with Koko. During this time, he fell in love with her, although they were never married. When the time came that the ship was built, he still stayed on the island, unwilling to leave her while she refused to leave the island.

Before long, the call of the ocean was too great and White made the decision to leave the island, for a year at a time. Koko begged him not to go, saying he wouldn't make it past the barrier of the island but he didn't listen. The next day he left the island and that night, another great storm hit the ocean, the waves fierce and larger than a ship.

Within the storm White and his new crew were unable to control the ship. It was only a matter of time before the ship was sunk, just like his previous ship and when the killer wave hit the ship, his thoughts went to Koko and her warning. He hit the ocean knowing he would die there, that he would not survive the next wave. He had all but given up hope when one of the native seals appeared underneath him and began to tow him to shore. Frozen in shock and relief, he allowed the seal to tow him back to shore and nose him onto the beach, a very human emotion of grief in its eyes.

The seal barked twice at him, the same grief paralleling in the voice before nosing him once again with great affection. He stared at in confusion, wondering what was wrong with the seal when the seal's gaze went to the home he shared with Koko, more anguish entering its eyes. Its gaze went to the ocean and with another pitiful bark, slid back into it and disappeared within the depths of the water.

White watched it until it disappeared before running to his home and shouting for his lover. He found that the house was empty, however, not a sign left of Koko. When he went to the village, trying to find her, he discovered that she had been one of the elusive seal-people and had forbid the villagers to tell him. Horrified, White ran to the edge of the shore, searching for the seal which had saved him, the seal who had undoubtedly been Koko. There was no sign of it and White realized he was now alone in the world because of his failure to listen to his lover,"

Silence filled the cabin by the time I finished, a thoughtful gaze on all my listeners. It wasn't the happiest of tales by far but I didn't think it would bother this crew too much. The silence continued in the cabin before a small grin filled the cook's face.

"That's why you always respect women, Marimo," he mocked. Zoro's eyes touched his but he was silent, looking as if he was still in thought. Usopp laughed.

"That reminds me of the time I met the beautiful mermaid who stole all the men's hearts," Usopp bragged before launching into a new story. Chopper abruptly began to listen while Luffy simply continued to stare at me in consideration.

"What did you think?" I inquired of the captain. A quick smile crossed his face, replacing the contemplation.

"I liked it," he replied. "But I feel bad for Whitey, losing his seal like that," I smiled at him. "Do most of the fairy tales have a sad ending?"

"No," Zoro suddenly toned, sounding oddly numb. I wondered swiftly what could be bothering him. Luffy's attention quickly shifted to him before going back to me.

"Oh," he said, sounding relieved. "Good," His gaze went to the cook, who was watching the ground, cigarette in his mouth. "Sanji, food!" he demanded. Sanji's gaze rose to him before he stood.

"Sure," he murmured before walking over to the kitchen and beginning to take food out of the fridge. Chopper's attention went back to me.

"Could you tell us another one?" he inquired quietly. Luffy nodded.

"A happy one," he added. My gaze went to the nearest window, where the sun was starting to set. The story had taken a long time to tell but if I were to tell another one, Nami would no doubt appreciate it. It would probably lead into dinner time, however.

"Of course," I replied before launching into Sleeping Beauty, my mood falling as I told it, realizing my life was nowhere near a fairy tale. The more attached to the crew I became, the harder it would be to leave them. It would be in my best interest to detach myself from them as soon as I could.

**A/N: **Hope you guys liked the chapter and, as always, I would enjoy feedback. The next chapter will get into Water 7 and I'm extremely nervous about it, so bare with me. Oh, and I posted a new story which will be a series of drabbles I'll be writing and I would love feedback on it as well. The first one deals with Sanji finding out about Robin's ability to grow "wings". Next chapter for this story will be up by the week after next on Friday (if that makes sense…).


	9. This Is All My Life Has Ever Been

**A/N:** Hi! Sorry the update is a day late but I got really busy last night and today. I hope you'll forgive me. Thank you to everyone who reviewed and such! Enjoy!

Rejecting Freedom

Chapter 9

This Is All My Life Has Ever Been

By dinnertime, my mood had changed drastically, although I tried to not show it. The rest of the crew didn't seem to notice it in the least, a smile plastered to my lips as I ate, listening to the conversations at the time. Possibly the greatest thing which had changed my mood was realizing that my life was not a fairy tale, that it never would be. The future which lay ahead of me had one option, to leave this happy crew behind and it would make things much easier if I began to distance from myself now.

It was difficult at first, simply listening to the conversations at dinner and afterwards watching the captain, sniper and doctor acting out their own version of a fairy tale, getting the cook and navigator to join it. I simply gave them an excuse of being tired and they all backed off, no doubt assuming that my condition had to do with being frozen over only yesterday.

Halfway through their act, I lost interest completely. They continued to act out the tale of Sleeping Beauty, with Luffy, Usopp and Sanji being the wise women, Nami as the villain, Chopper as the prince and the sleeping swordsman as the princess. They had wished for me to be the prince, at first, telling me it would be the perfect role. Of course, that had started up a stir from the cook, who had wanted to be the princess, if only because it would mean me kissing him.

Before their acting was finished, I left the room, not wanting to watch them anymore. I ended up going into the room that Nami and I shared and lying down. The silence in the room was comforting, the silence of being alone. Alone, that was a thought. A bitter smile came to my lips. In the end, I was always alone, doomed to be alone forever.

_Once yer born into dis world, yer neva gonna be alone. _The words came into my head, Saul's voice telling me them, so confident and calm. If it only it was true. I hated to think that way, to doubt Saul but I couldn't help but think so. I could only learn from my past and none of my experiences made me able to think that I would ever be anything but alone. Perhaps the aloneness was not in a physical sense but it was completely in a mental sense. Even my experiences with this cheery crew hadn't changed it.

My eyes closed slowly, wanting to see the darkness which came with it. The last thing I wanted in my vision currently was the hopeful wood which filled the cabin. The fit which Zoro had interrupted last night was returning. I forced it back, not wanting to express it. I wouldn't cry over my fate. I would accept it and finish the task which ruined my life, somehow getting to the Rio Poneglyph before I died. The World Government would not win this, I would find what they wanted to hide and expose it. History was recorded to be shared.

I forced my eyes to open, trying to convince myself to move from the bed, to act like everything was normal. My body wouldn't cooperate, however, a sudden depression and sickness of a sort filling every inch of it. Like a little kid, I pulled the covers over myself and curled up, trying to force the minuscule amount of comfort that came with sleep upon myself. It came to me swiftly.

…

I watched the water flowing by silently, only half listening to the captain's explanation of what he wanted in a carpenter. We had just left the train station and were headed to the city of Water 7. The only information that benefitted me at the moment was the fact that the train went to several different cities. Once we landed, the train would make it simple to run from the crew and disappear completely. There would be no worry of hiding out and waiting for them to leave to begin my new journey. I would go to one of the other islands and then leave that island as soon as I could, leaving no trace of me behind.

I doubted that the crew wouldn't search for me but I also doubted they would ever find me again. I had run from the Government for twenty years and had been successful in this task. If the Government's best tracker couldn't find me, the straw hats wouldn't be able to find me, either. Their memories of me would fade and simply become a pale shadow of misfortune.

The last two days, I had been by myself, not a single one of the crew questioning my sudden isolation. The only one who had shown any suspicion of me in the least was the swordsman, although he hadn't confronted me again, just watched me carefully, as he had when I first joined the crew. His watch had gone down, today, however, as if he was now certain I had no plans to run. It really didn't matter. With his sense of direction, he would be the easiest to avoid, to escape from, if he were to accompany me into town. Not that I believed he would do so, since he very often watched the ship instead of coming onto land.

My gaze scanned the town as we entered it, filling away pieces of important information as we passed, such as the location of the train station. The citizens didn't seem too worried about pirates, not caring very much as we passed by. The welcome was unusual but very likely meant that there were strong citizen guarding the town. It was a good sign, however, since the people who ran the train station wouldn't notice a pirate with a bounty entering the train. It would make things much more convenient when I ran, making much trail much harder to track. In some ways, the thought was comforting.

…

My past had caught up with me. It was a certainty now, no way to escape from my fate. Nor was there any way that I was going to try and escape, no matter how simple it would be to escape. I couldn't, I wouldn't. The image of the Going Merry bursting into flame, the images of the crew dying was too much. The image of Ohara burning behind it filled my mind. I banished the thought away.

No, it would not happen. The crew would be safe as long as I wasn't with them. They were too insignificant, for now, for the Marines to pursue. If there was one thing I knew about Aokiji, it was that he hated to involve innocents in a fight. And while the crew may not have been completely innocent, he was too lazy to involve himself in chasing after them as long as I wasn't with them.

My gaze scanned the member of Cipher Pol 9 who sat across from me, staring out a window, not at all concerned about the fact that it would have been simple to kill him. Not that I was willing to try and do so. There would be no point to it. The man had already explained the conditions to me, although they seemed to be thin and without much detail. Basically, as long as I helped them with their plans in this city and allowed the Straw hats to take blame for an assassination of the favored head of the city, they would be able to leave the city safely, without me. I would be taken to Enies Lobbies and treated like any other criminal they caught.

The only thing I did not like was the fact that they wished to use me to bring back the ancient weapon that the Poneglyphs had told of. The details weren't clear but already I knew I would be doing no such thing. If the weapons were hidden, it was because the people were afraid of them, that they didn't want them to be found. They were to be used against a great threat, the threat quite obviously the World Government, as a last resort. But at the same time, I could not let the Straw Hats be killed.

The situation reminded me of the agreement between Crocodile and I. We were both aware that we would betray each other in the end as well as that we needed each other. There was nothing to keep us from trying to kill each other in the end, except for the fact we both wanted something. He wanted the weapon that the World Government was surely looking for while I simply wanted the Poneglyph. It had been the only thing that kept me safe, that allowed me to betray him over and over again in such subtle ways. Allowing the princess to find his identity, trying to help the Straw Hats find him, to let them have a chance at defeating them had all been part of it. Except the first part of the plan had been to use them to bring the Marines to Alabasta, considering the slight stir they had caused in Gol D. Roger's home town, even if they were not well known.

But this situation was completely different. The World Government had something to keep me from betraying, the safety of the crew. The situation was delicate, something that would take much thought. If it had been a normal situation, I would have run by now, refused to help the foul government that had destroyed Ohara like it was nothing, not even caring about the people who lived there. How could I possibly help someone who wiped out a whole nation without care, only seeing the island being destroyed, not the people's cries and pain as they died, all in the name of some unjust 'justice'?

And yet, I couldn't let the crew die. They were good people, people who didn't deserve the fate I would give them. With any luck, I would be able to die in some way or form so that I wouldn't betray Ohara's will but at the same time they would survive. I kept a bitter smile away from my face. Chances were, I would not get that luxury. I would need to choose to save one and lose the other. Sadly, I was certain that I would choose the crew over the greater good.

My guard's eyes had turned to me, hair looking very much like horns upon his head, gaze expectant. I met it coldly, quietly, hiding the numbness I felt inside. He turned away first, hiding his uncertainty well, gaze darting back to the window. Frozen amusement spread over me. It was typical that such a thing occurred. The only one who had been able to meet my gaze when I was in such a mood had been Crocodile. I allowed a smile to come to my face, although it was slightly ruthless.

The door opened, three other people walking in. My gaze turned towards them, following them as they walked in. One of them was a woman, an annoyed look on her face as she walked in although it was carefully hide with a slight smile. Almost immediately afterwards, she let her hair down shaking it out slowly. Two men followed her, both much more dangerous than she was and very obviously so. They were quite opposite to each other, one much more relaxed and content looking, the other mirroring the woman's mood, although he also seemed impatient. The more relaxed one had a nose that could mirror Usopp's, although it was much more square while the other had more of a sinister look to him, a more vicious and predatory gaze.

The woman's mood seemed to get better when she caught sight of me. "I see we'll be leaving this boring place soon," she said calmly, running one hand through her hair. For the slightest second, the long nosed man frowned before it was covered up. I doubted anyone else even noticed it. The other man looked at her silently, too calm. His gaze went to me, the pigeon's eyes following his.

I met his gaze calmly, the small, fake smile still on my lips. I was not going to be intimidated by them, not going to show them any weakness. Our gazes met for a while, neither of us flinching or turning away. Even so, I hid the chills that went down my spine at his gaze. It was as if he was looking at an insect that he was planning on squashing, a being that was so far below him that they weren't even worth a care. It was in that moment, I realized that the man I was currently dealing with was much worse that Crocodile ever was, a man much colder and cool-blooded than the Warlord.

The long nosed man broke both of our gazes as he spoke. "When are we going to make our move?" he inquired. Unlike the other three, he still showed not an ounce of annoyance or coldness; there was no impatience in his tone, just a clear question. The man with the pigeon turned at the question, making it clear he was the leader of the group, which also meant that he was the strongest of the group.

"Tonight," he replied coldly. My eyes narrowed slightly. They would make a move so soon? It made me wonder if all they had been waiting for to move was to have someone to pin it on. If I hadn't agreed to join them, would they still attack tonight or would they have simply used the Buster Call as a distraction to get what they were after? Somehow, simply by watching them, they seemed like people who would, people who saw nothing more than a mission in front of them. I would need to tread carefully with such knowledge. They would have no qualms killing any of the crew if I didn't cooperate.

…

I carried out my orders of shooting the man called Iceberg almost as coldly as the CP9 did, not allowing my emotions to get in the way. As planned, I dropped my mask on the way out, allowing the man to see my face as he sat in a puddle of his own blood. The surprise and recognition in it surprised me but I didn't show it. He would survive from his wound, for now, although it didn't sound like he would be allowed to live past the next attack.

The plan was clever in setting up the Straw Hat crew and I doubted that any would be able to see past it, past their own emotions. I could only hope the crew would be able to escape the anger of the city at their supposed actions. Even so, my emotion of numb would not change. It was my only protection now, my only thing to hold on to. Killing someone was nothing new to me, not when it had been necessary to survive but I still had to distance myself from it to not go crazy. Just as I was distancing myself from what I was currently doing, keeping myself numb and unseeing so that I wouldn't break down in front of my enemies.

When I returned to the hideout of the CP9, Rob Lucci was waiting. The one called Blueno had come with me, to insure that I carried out my orders correctly. I ignored both of them as I walked to the couch and picked up a book, face cold. I began to read the words, although my brain processed none of it. There was no need for my acting here, no need for the false smile that usually displayed itself on my lips to earn someone's trust, just as there had been no need for it after a while with Crocodile. The understanding that I was only cooperating under protest was clear.

Lucci didn't leave the room when the conversation was done, although Blueno did, murmuring something about getting back to his fake job before someone noticed he was missing. The current leader of the CP9 simply sat down across the room from me and observed my movements. For a long time, the only noise in the room was the cooing of his pigeon as he doted on it and the whisk of the pages turning in my book. I didn't let my discomfort show in any way, even if my attention was completely off the pages in front of me and completely focused on the dangerous individual before me. So the night went on, neither of speaking. I didn't speak because I didn't wish to and he didn't speak because I wasn't worth speaking to.

…

I was alone in the hideout, watching the people on the streets rush around, preparing for the Aqua Laguna and in a flurry because of the attempted assassination. I couldn't help but wonder how they would act when I finished the job tonight. Would they simply be defeated or would they be like ants in an ant hole when they were attacked?

Suddenly, two people in the crowd caught my attention or to be more precise, a blonde chef and a reindeer caught my attention. For some reason, the numbness left me for a moment, simply at the sight of them. I set down my book in an instant and rose, the urge to talk to them growing. There was no need to say a thing to them, to tell them that I was leaving the crew but yet I wanted to see them again, to say something to tell them I was leaving. I strode out of the door and quickly went to the most deserted place in the city, a piece of flowing water between me and the street they would surely come to once Chopper smelled me.

The water between us was important, to make the gap between us something they couldn't cross. Chopper wouldn't be able to cross it and the current was too strong for the cook to cross. They wouldn't be able to chase after me, to stop me from leaving for a second time.

They came swiftly, Chopper running in first, before stopping, his face shocked. Sanji was shouting as he ran after him, before he too stopped in complete and total shock. They began to shout at me, joy on their faces. I kept mine cold and distant, allowing the numb feeling to take over my body, to block out the fact that I cared so much about them. Sanji, always the reasonable one, told me that we should go back to the hotel to discuss things before he started moving. But that was utter nonsense.

I put an end to it quickly. "No, we're fine where we are," I told him icily. He stopped quickly, although I was sure my tone was what stopped him the most from shock. I had never been so cold with any of the crew before, so distant. "I won't go back with you," That was what was important. "Let's say our farewell here in this town,"

They began to babble about not caring about what was in the papers and such. It was typical. I shook my head and told them the truth, making them pause for a moment. It was all true, down to the darkness that they would never know, that I would never involve them in. The shock in their faces, the fact that they still wanted me back broke through my numbness, even if I didn't let it show. I would need to end this soon.

I simply repeated what I said before, down to the core of the discussion. This was our farewell. I turned around and walked away, forcing my steps to be even and calm, even if I want to run, more towards them than away. I wanted to cry and for them to tell me it was alright, that the crew would be fine, that they would protect me. But I had no such illusions. This would be the last time I saw any of the crew, the last time I would care for any of the crew.

As expected, the cook rushed after me, shouting. And as planned, the water kept him from catching me, from making my façade crack into a million pieces. I kept walking away from happiness and towards what my life had always been, emotionless and worthless. I had been a fool to ever believe it could be anything else. Any emotions I had left fled from me, hiding deep inside, never to come out.

**A/N:** It's a little short this time and I'm sorry for that but I am having a hard time writing this currently because it is so dark. I know there's some people who would like more CP9 interaction but I doubt very much will happen because they think so low of her. So sorry for that and I hoped everyone liked the chapter, even if it was short.


	10. Nothing to Say

Rejecting Freedom

Chapter 10

My eyes scanned the amount of carpenters lined up in front of the building calmly. They looked strong and determined. In some ways I felt sorry for them. They were about to have their lives ruined without being able to do anything about it. But the chances were, things would good smoothly and the masses would be cut through without thought. The mask on my face covered nothing but my eyes and it made it clear who I was.

I had seen neither hide, hair nor rumor of the Straw Hats since my earlier encounter. The city had been silent when I watched it earlier, as if it was taking a breath before a storm. I doubted it would be so silent tomorrow, thrown into more chaos by the events of tonight. Not that I would see the effects of what occurred tonight nor would I hear about it. As soon as what they were looking for was found, we would depart by Sea Train to the island of Enies Lobbies. No one would be able to follow us out, the enormous wave that would sweep across the island hiding our tracks.

The sound of ring brought me out of my thoughts. I ignored it, knowing it to be the signal that we were waiting for.

"Robin, are you ready?" Blueno inquired. I ran my gaze at our surroundings one last time and nodded, one hand going to make sure my hood still sat in place.

"Yes," I replied. An explosion rattled the ground, causing the distraction we were waiting for. So it began.

…

I listened to the CP9 question Iceberg for information silently. Although the information was interesting I didn't bother to pay very much attention. It didn't have anything to do with me, even if it had to do with the ancient weapon. Their reasoning to find and use me, however, was quite clear since I was the only one able to read the blueprints, if they were written in the ancient language. It did seem as though Iceberg's fear would come true.

Then, I began to hear a crashing noise, too loud to be anything but someone trying to break down the wall. My gaze went towards it quickly. It exploded in moments later, Luffy jumping through the gap, shouting for me. Seconds later, out of the corner of my eye, I saw the doors explode in as well.

"Luffy?" I gasped in shock. I heard the swordsman's voice echo me instants later. Why were they here? They shouldn't have been, shouldn't have been putting themselves in more danger. Couldn't they just understand that I wanted to leave them, that I had to leave them? My temper, which rarely showed itself, rose up, rising even more when Luffy shouted about finding me.

I sent him a deathly glare, trying to make him understand that he should be leaving by all and any accounts. I barely hear the rest of the crew say how glad they were to see me again. I felt like screaming at them, shaking them and forcing them to understand that I was doing this for them. I was sacrificing my dreams and the goals of Ohara for them and they wouldn't just let me be, let me die like I should have a long time ago!

My gaze went to the window. I needed to leave, to get out of here while I could. The crew was being distracted by the carpenter named Paulie's shock at his 'friends' betrayal. If I left now, they wouldn't be able to follow me.

My attention darted back in worry when Luffy attacked Lucci. He was such a fool. First, he attacked Crocodile thinking he could win and now he attacked someone much more deadly than the Warlord. It was a miracle he hadn't died yet. As expected, the rubber man was beat up quickly, not even able to put a scratch on the other man.

I was forced into the conversation once again, Luffy asking what I was doing. Nami joined in quickly. I didn't bother to listen to their words, my temper forcing it away. Why couldn't they just let it go? Why couldn't they just let me go? I turned my glare to all of them.

"You people don't seem to listen very well. I told the cook and the doctor goodbye. Didn't they tell you?" I inquired harshly. Chopper burst out with his disbelief. I forced my expression to as close to a sneer as I could make it as I answered. "To achieve my goal! A goal that can't be achieved if I stay with you people," I paused and continued, giving them a reason that they couldn't argue with. The swordsman was looking at me in what had to be anger. "To accomplish it, I will sacrifice anything!"

The crew was staring at me in clear disbelief. The swordsman's eyes narrowed, mind clearly working. He caught me by surprise slightly when he asked what my goal was before I remembered that he knew about my goal of finding history. I forced my annoyed gaze to stay. They couldn't know of my goal, not when it involved them and no one else.

"I don't have to tell you," I told him coldly, uttering the words slowly. Iceberg's voice almost cracked my façade, interrupting in an annoying way. It was clear I should have kept my mouth shut earlier when I had defended myself against his accusations. I turned my glare to him, ignoring his words. I wasn't going to let him spoil my plans, I wasn't going to let him.

I shut him up quickly, using hands to cover up his mouth. The crew acted like I was doing something horrible. I didn't even bother to listen to them. None of it mattered. Thankfully, before I was forced to reply, Lucci interrupted, cutting the conversation short. They began to talk of the mansion erupting in flames and such. If I left, the crew would have no reason to stay within it when the flames came.

I raised my hood back up. "I'll be going then," I said. Lucci dismissed me quickly and I began to walk away. Luffy called after me. I replied with a simple "Goodbye," thinking it would be the end of the conversation. Sounds of fighting followed after me but I ignored it completely. More sounds followed, the sound of the swordsman joining in the fight. I drowned out the sounds by opening the window. Luffy called after me one more time, unable to let me go. My temper went cold. I wouldn't let them follow me.

"No, I'm done," I told him but more addressed them all. "We will never meet after this," The navigator called after me. I ignored her and continued in my mission to vacate the area as soon as I could. The swordsman shout to Luffy to catch me made me pause, if only for a second but it was long enough to hear said man get hurt and Luffy attacking someone once again. I kept my face calm although the sounds were starting to get to me. But anything was better than seeing them getting killed because of me. They would survive this and that would be the end of it.

I barely heard Lucci tell me to go before I leaped out of the window and left the crew behind for was the last time. Once I hit the ground, I started to run, my anger fading away back into the comfortable numbness. I had to get away from the crew as soon as I could. My orders were to go to the train station where more of CP9 would be waiting for me. The other members would be there soon.

At the same time, worry spread over me as I ran away from my past for what seemed to be the hundredth time. The crew was being hurt because of me. But at least they would live this encounter. I simply hoped they would finally understand that I didn't want to be with them anymore, that I couldn't be with them anymore. Then again, they were quite slow when it came to understanding things. As a last resort, the storm would keep them at bay long enough for me to finally escape their grasp.

I slowed down as I reached the train station and tried to make my face cold. I failed completely, unable to hide my worries. My façade was wearing thin. I was simply happy that the crew was unable to see my face now, to see how false my conviction to not be with them was.

A man met me at the columns of the train station, which was completely deserted except for marine men in suits. The man eyed me for a moment, taking in my face and such.

"Nico Robin?" he inquired. I nodded silently. "Get on board the sea train first," he ordered. I stared at him and ignored their jibes at me. None of their taunts mattered now. I simply followed them to the front of the ship, ignoring the great force that was gathered upon the train. I sat down without a word and stared out at the window when Lucci and the others came to the ship, carrying something which was squirming around. I turned away and examined the cabin.

Within a few moments, the train started to move, the sound of rain pounding against the windows growing. I closed my eyes. The sound was almost peaceful, steady and unyielding like a heartbeat. My gaze went back outside, watching the rain fall. In some ways, it reminded me of Alabasta, when I first met the Straw Hats. It had rained when the conflict was over then too.

My memories went back through my memories with the crew and a bittersweet smile came to my lips. I had to admit, it had been worth it. Every moment with the crew had been worth it. I only wished I had been able to stay with the crew longer, to stay with them where I was finally happy. But it was just that, a wish. My hand went near my eyes.

Tears were coming to my eyes at the thought. I covered my eyes quickly to hide them, a smile still on my lips. I would not regret this decision. I would not wish to be somewhere else. I had learned long ago there was no use in hoping for anything. No help, no knight in shining armor would ever rescue me. This would be the end of the line for me but at least it was better than letting everyone I cared about dying again.

The tears dried up quickly with that thought. I forced the sadness away. I was doing this for them and I wouldn't regret it. My hand went away from my face and my gaze went back to the ocean. My fate was sealed.

…

It was silent in the cabin, not a single noise drifting in from outside. The man named Franky sat on the row of seat across from me, completely silent. I tried my best to ignore him, to pretend he wasn't there. Even so, his words, along with Sanji and Usopp's were chipping at my resolve. But I couldn't let it. I couldn't allow myself to put my trust in other, not even Luffy.

I couldn't depend on another miracle from the captain of the crew, not like in Alabasta. Miracles only happened once. And while the rest of the crew insisted that they didn't care that I wanted to leave, I couldn't listen to them. They simply didn't understand the situation. They were used to facing enemies they were able to defeat, pirates who wouldn't keep attacking once they were defeated. But I knew the World Government wouldn't stop, not as long as I was alive.

And yet, the blue-haired man's words were affecting me. The explanation was simple, however, they reminded me too much of Saul's words. But they were both wrong. Not everyone was born into this world for a happy life. They hadn't ever seen what I had, hadn't gone through what I had. The thought was overly optimistic, too hopeful to believe in this world.

The train had begun to slow, meaning we were growing closer to Enies Lobbies and the end of the line for me. Franky seemed to notice the same thing, jaw compressing slowly, body tensing to get ready for a fight. I looked out the window at the slowing rain, at the sun ironically appearing in the sky. The man could fight all he wanted but I knew his fight would be in vain. He would never take me back to the Straw Hats and that was a fact. We would both likely die in this place or perhaps we would make it to the great jail before death came.

When the train came to a stop, the officers flooded in. Franky began to struggle, fighting against them in any way he could. I watched it, my face blank and simply followed them off the train. The sunlight hit my eyes brightly as I peered around at the great island of justice.

**a/n: **Sorry, its another short chapter. My muse does not want to write this, in the least. Hope you understand. I hope everyone enjoyed and review…you know you want to…


	11. Unlike Anyone Else

**A/N**: Whew. So I finally finished this chapter. Sorry it took so long to write it but I had a major case of muse rebellion. Hopefully it won't go on. Thank you so much to everyone who reviewed. They really helped me get back into the whole inspiration thing and push through to get the chapter done! Enjoy!

Rejecting Freedom

Chapter 11

Unlike Anyone Else

It had been all for nothing. The thought was unbearable, breaking through my emptiness as it had when the words had first come out of the despicable man's mouth. I had turned myself in for nothing. The crew wasn't any safer now than it had been, not as long as they picked this fight. Why couldn't they understand that they didn't need to help me? I deserved this, no matter what anyone said. I was resigned to my defeat so why couldn't they simply accept it? Why did they continue to try and sway my opinion?

My gaze went to Franky, who sat nearby, chained up, my head not moving. My gaze went back to the floor swiftly. How could he possibly understand what I was going through? I knew he didn't, simply because he was trying to argue against my decision, trying to tell me I had something to go back to, that I should be happy. He hadn't watched everyone he cared about die as I had, hadn't lost everyone in the world as I had. He hadn't watched anyone he associated with die or live long enough to betray him. I couldn't possibly be happy when the crew was going to die because of me, just as Saul had.

I ignored his words, wanting to spend my time wallowing in misery instead. If I listened to his words, it would make me listen to the noises of the outside world, make me listen to what was surely the destruction of the crew. I wouldn't listen to the sounds of yet another sin I had brought on to the world just by living.

A bitter smile came to my lips as I remembered the pathetic man's words that I would suffer until I wished I had died. Nothing could be worse than this, nothing could be worse than the guilt that I had doomed the crew to this fate. Nothing could be worse than lying to their faces, doing my best to convince them that I hated them when all I wanted to do was to run to them and pretend I was safe and loved, if only for a little bit. Nothing was worse than that, nothing that they could think of in a thousand years.

I was barely aware of it when the door opened, Spandam entering to stand before me. He attempted to taunt me further but I didn't listen, not caring. Only when the voice telling him the status of the fight entered did I pay attention, my head rising as I heard of the so far victory of the crew. I couldn't hide the surprise which flickered across my face at the news. So far they were as much of an annoyance as they were to Crocodile, a surprising notion. But not enough of one to make my hope rise, to make me think that they would possibly be able to win this certain fight.

Even so, it was a thought, one that my mind now desperately clung to. It didn't matter how impossible my mind found it to be, I now had the slightest hint of a hope that they would win. I did my best to banish it, knowing that when the crew finally fell, it would make it all the worse. My head rose, nonetheless, my body using the emotion to gain new strength, to hide my thoughts as it always had. It wouldn't listen to my mind say how impossible this was, to tell it not to gain the pointless emotion of hope.

"Robin!" The shout echoed throughout the halls, the voice clearly that of the captain. My head turned to it automatically, the hope using it to rise. I crushed it swiftly. It didn't belong with me. The fact was that the captain would fall before he could possibly rescue me along with the rest of the crew. I would be taken to Impel Down and that would be the end of it, although I now wouldn't share the information about the ancient weapon, no matter what. They would lose any bargaining chip the moment the last crewmember drew their last breath.

Panic swiftly filled the halls, the news that Luffy had defeated Bleuno spreading through them faster than air. I tried not to listen to it, not listening to the voice within me that said it would be a good time to try and escape my fate. I would stand by my fate no matter what simply because I had to, to try and have a last attempt to save the crew. It would be foolish to try and escape with them, to watch them die while I was forced back into my fate.

Franky began to speak then, babbling nonsense about me not being able to do any good, that I should answer the crew's calls and let them save me. It was utter foolishness. Even so, it connected with the hope within me, calling it until it slowly rose to the surface. My head turned to him, listening to his words. It quickly became obvious that he was plotting something, saying something like he was going to force me to face the straw hats. I simply watched as he carried through with his plans, grabbing me as he made his escape attempt.

My gaze went to where Luffy was the instant we were outside, focusing on what my hope was screaming was my greatest chance. I barely heard Franky's words of encouragement to talk to him before he turned to take care of the now annoyed marines. I barely heard Luffy's words, only able to focus on the fact that his grinning face was going to disappear forever because of me. Just like Saul's grinning face was forever gone because he had tried to save me, to protect me. The sound of him getting ready to propel over to save me snapped me out of my thoughts.

"Wait," I cried, my voice surprisingly strong. Luffy paused, looking confused. I clenched my jaw and forced the words to come out, the hope inside of me screaming not to. "I told you several times. I-I'll never come back to you!" I paused. "Go away! I never want to see your faces again! Why'd you come to rescue me? When did I ever ask you to do that?" I took a deep breath, trying to hide the tears that were threatening before I forced myself to tell him was the truth, so long as it kept them alive, so long as he didn't die for my sake. "I just…want to die,"

I kept my face as straight as I could, staring at Luffy as the shock crossed his face before it turned into pure determination. The tears retreated for now as I let the emptiness consume me once again. There was no hope that they win, no matter what. I would not be responsible for their deaths.

"You want to die?" he asked, no disbelief in his voice. I rose my head and stared at him sternly.

"That's right," I replied swiftly, coldly. He stared at me before starting to pick his nose.

"Robin? Is death what you want? What the hell are you talking about?" he shouted. I could only stare, still wondering how he could be so relaxed, as if he didn't know he was in danger at all. "Listen, Robin, we've come all the way here," he began, not seeming to realize the destruction of the building behind him. "So we're gonna rescue you anyway and if you still wanna die then die afterwards," he stated simply.

I stared at him, wondering how he could shred through my reasons so quickly. Wondering how he could be so foolish. The rest of the crew continued to appear behind him. My body stiffened before the tears returned. They were going to die because of me and there was nothing I could do about it. Any anger I had at them faded. How could they possibly care about me after they knew what I had done? How could they possibly want to die because of me?

"I beg of you, Robin, I don't care what you want, whether you choose to live or die, but whatever you decide, say it while you're with us," he continued. The rest of the crew rushed to back him up. I gritted my teeth together, trying to think of something to say, to convince them I wasn't worth any of this. "Now leave everything to us!"

I was silent as I stared at the crew, wanting to answer them as before but knowing I couldn't. If I acknowledged that they could save me, it would be my fault that they died all the more. If I stayed silent, they might lose hope and leave or I would be dragged off so I didn't have to watch them die. I couldn't watch anyone I cared about die, not again. I closed my eyes and let the tear slowly run down my face. I wouldn't watch them die.

I focused my attention to what Spandam was saying, using it as an excuse not to focus on the crew. Anything was better than that. My eyes opened with a snap when he mentioned bringing the buster call upon this place. He didn't understand anything. He didn't understand that everything would be gone if he triggered that. He continued to taunt me about it until my anger took over my emptiness.

away, to not hear his words. He continued his taunts, no matter what I tried to tell him. The buster call was merciless, wiping out everything in sight, no matter if they were simply bystanders or whether the government would call them guilty. I sank to my knees at the thought of it being triggered, at the memories of the destruction; the fires of my home once again alight within my head. Why couldn't he understand that everything would be destroyed, allies or enemies within such an attack?

My memories and anger gave me strength, strength enough to tell the crew the truth. Now that the subject was present, I could tell them to leave, try and convince them of why they should just leave me here. It might just be enough to make them leave, no matter how much I hoped they wouldn't. But I couldn't ask anyone to bear my sins other than myself. "The more I wish to be with you, the more my fate will bear its fangs at you. No matter what sea I go to, I have this great foe I can't shake 'cause my enemy is the world and its darkness…"

I hardly paid attention to my words from then on, speaking what was in my head. They would betray me now, it was certain. Perhaps this would have been the best strategy to start with, rather than distancing myself, but I doubted they would have understood. They had yet to realize what the World Government truly was and how fierce it could truly be. When it was staring them straight in the faces, it was obvious that they couldn't win. I was almost glad when Spandam explained the might of the organization, silently watching the crew whose faces hadn't even changed all that much, foolish determination on every one of the faces.

"I understand Robin's enemy very well," Luffy finally said. I wondered why he hadn't left already if that was the case, taking the crew with him so that they could be saved. He began to talk to Usopp, who drew out a slingshot of sorts. I could only stare as he fired an attack at the World Government's flag, flames engulfing the fabric in an instant.

"No way," was the only thing that came out of my mouth. For once in my life, I was doubting my eyes. Surely they had left me by now but no matter how much I stared at them, they didn't disappear, didn't abandon me. Why hadn't they left me? The tears started to well up, spilling over. They had surely ended their own lives for my sake. My body felt like collapsing from the shock of it all.

Luffy's voice snapped me out of it. "Robin! I haven't heard it from you yet?" I stared at him for a moment, trying to understand what he was saying. "Say you wanna live!" he yelled. The tears grew. Live? It was something nobody had allowed me, something that I had never even wished for. I couldn't, not when I had to worry about being captured or when I had to betray them. And yet they wanted me to be with them simply to live, not to accomplish some sick goal. The tears continued to shake me. Saul's words about finding my nakama in the ocean came back to me. Any doubts that I had found them vanished, if I was able to state my wish with them.

"I wanna live!" I shouted to them, the strength in it surprising me. "Take me with you to the ocean!" Protect me; don't leave me alone in this world. The words were silent, a plea. The hope expanded. They had been able to defeat Crocodile somehow, against all odds, to help a friend. I could only pray that they would do the same for me, that they would defy all odds once again. The expressions on their faces, especially Luffy's made it clear that they would, that I simply needed to wait for them, that they would surely come and rescue me now. The drawbridge began to lower and my tears vanished, knowing everything, for once would be okay now.

My heart was soaring in my chest as I landed on the Going Merry. Everything was going to be okay, it was certain. If the World Government decided to fire on the ship now, we would all die but at least I would be able to die and not be alone, in both the physical and mental sense. Luffy landed on the ship nearby, instantly panicking before going into how I had saved him. I clamped a hand over his mouth before he could say thank you however. It was unneeded, not when he had saved more than my life. Although, while I was on the thought…

"Everyone," I called out. "Thank you!" They all acted like it was nothing, like it hadn't been as big as it was. The swordsman was once again the one to get everyone back on focus, telling them that we should focus on getting out of there. I watched the crew get ready with a smile on my face, their usual antics still occurring even in the situation we were in. The situation soon became dire as it became a fact that the warships were bent on still blasting apart the little ship. My smile faded as the sound of canon fire filled the area.

But none of the canons hit us and it was soon obvious that the gates of justice were closing, Sanji's quick thinking the cause. Nami saved us next, guiding us through the currents while the boys handled any cannons coming after us. I could hear the chaos spreading throughout the ships, Spandam trying to bring order to them while ranting about the buster call the fool had accidentally triggered. My eyes narrowed and I focused on him to allow arms grow from his body. Anyone who could destroy so much life with so little care truly didn't deserve to live. I used the arms as I usually did, bending him backwards and snapping bones as he went into such a position.

The escape went rather quickly from then on, Franky using his odd abilities to propel the ship upwards. From then on, we were able to escape simply by sailing on. Everything was fine, although it was quite odd that no one had seemed to piloted the ship to Enies Lobbies up until the ship suddenly snapped in half. A sense of grief passed over me as we left the ship for the last time although I did not show it to the rest of the crew. It was simply a fact of life that things faded away after a time and that nothing would make them return. You only had to look at history to see the examples of it. The memories would never fade and that was the only way to keep the ship alive. I grieved for the ship in silence, but for once in my life, I didn't grieve alone.

We were lead to the Galley La temporary headquarters so after arriving on the island, Iceberg giving the crew its own residence that we were to use until we were ready to leave. The man was quite grateful for us, apparently, my assassination attempt all but forgotten in his eyes since he treated me like any other crewmate except for the small smiles he kept giving me.

The captain had to be carried to the room, his wounds finally catching up to him. He fell asleep as soon as he was put onto a bed, muttering about wanting food. Sanji and Nami left shortly after to buy some food before Luffy grew too hungry. I found a seat by the window and stared at the bustling city, my heart still light. It was amazing in my eyes to watch how everyone worked together after such a devastating event, the entire city seemingly in the lower section to help with the work.

"Are you okay?" Mr. Reindeer's voice asked me. I looked down at him, a smile coming to my face.

"Of course," I murmured. "I wasn't injured in the fight," He squirmed around in place, as if unsure of what to do. "I'm quite fine," I restated. "Do you need any help?"

His gaze went around the crew, the two boys who were currently asleep, at that before shaking his head. He had taken care of major wounds while we were escaping on the Going Merry and later on the Galley La ship.

"I see," I replied before an idea came to my head. "Would you still like to help me write letters to everyone?" He glanced around before nodding in excitement. I held out my hand before standing up and walking to a separate room. I shifted around to find some paper and something to write with before sitting at the nearest table, Chopper hopping into my lap.

"Robin?" he suddenly asked. "You're not going to leave us again, are you?" My gaze went to him in surprise.

"What makes you ask that?" I asked, startled. He shifted around nervously.

"You were quiet before you left us," he murmured. "And you're quiet now," A smile broke out on my face.

"I'm not going to leave, Mr. Reindeer. I'm where I belong now," I replied. He seemed comforted by it and started to smile.

"Could we go buy some books tomorrow? We never got to buy any here," he inquired. I nodded, laughing lightly.

"Of course. What kind of books do you want to buy?" I questioned. He seemed deep in thought before his face fell and he began to look as if he were going to cry. "What's wrong?"

"All my books are gone," he moaned. "We lost them!" I frowned sadly.

"Didn't you bring them onshore?" I inquired. He nodded before he started to cry.

"We didn't get them before the storm came and our apartment went underwater." He sobbed. I rubbed his back softly, understanding it. There were many books that I would have enjoyed to read that had been destroyed or left behind in the past.

"You can always build your collection back up so that it's better than ever," I reminded him. He brightened quickly. "And there is a chance that your books were moved somehow and survived the storm. Now shall we get started on these letters?" I inquired. He nodded in excitement.

We spent a good portion of the day writing letters to all of the crew, each of us writing a letter. I had to admit it was quite fun to write a casual letter to others rather than one of business. There was more room to be yourself and to simply try and relate. I had no doubt that certain individuals of the crew would be delighted to get the letters, especially the captain and his usual cohorts. The little doctor kept laughing to himself as he wrote the letters.

We ended up walking out of the room, letter sealed within the room to be taken to be posted in the morning, laughing lightly. It felt good to simply be able to laugh. Nami jerked her head up from the map she was examining in a moment, looking at us in surprise before laughing, no doubt at the fact that Chopper had several spots of ink staining his fur and my shirt was stained in places due to an accident involving an ink pot which had splattered over each of us. Sanji stared for a moment before rushing off to get a wet rag to help wash it off me.

I sat across from Nami as Chopper rushed off to find a place to wash off, suddenly unsure of how good it was to be covered in so much ink. Nami suddenly frowned.

"You didn't make a mess did you? They might make us pay money if you made a mess," she exclaimed. I put a hand to my face and tilted my head to rest upon it.

"Of course not, Miss Navigator," I told her gently. "The boys will make enough of a mess as it is," She grimaced.

"They better not," she warned. "Or I'll throw them out of here," I smiled at her, not saying a word, just finding amusement in the way she acted. She brightened quickly. "We still need to go shopping. I found a few worthwhile stores around here and I'll need some new outfits. We'll have to find you some new ones too,"

I nodded. "It would be refreshing to have something new to wear," I murmured. Sanji walked in and handed me a wet cloth to get the ink off my face, babbling his complements as usual. I simply wiped off my face and hands gratefully before glancing down at my shirt which was now ruined. The cook took away the cloth when I was done, saying he was going to go make a treat for us.

"Thank you for trusting in me," I suddenly told Nami, my gaze landing on one of bandages upon her. She blinked at me in surprise before smiling brightly.

"You're welcome," she replied slowly. "I'd miss you if you were gone and I was stuck with these idiots again," she said the last part louder, gaze fixed on the swordsman in the corner and the captain who slept nearby. One of Zoro's eyes opened before he closed it again with a slight huff.

"At least they're entertaining," I murmured. She frowned.

"I'd prefer it if they'd be a little less entertaining sometimes," she groaned but it was clear it was said with caring. A small smile came to her lips. "Although I wouldn't want to be with anyone else,"

"Neither would I," I replied quietly, making it so she would be the only able to hear it, even if the large smile on my face told a different story.

**A/N:** So what did ya think? Was the chapter okay and everyone in character? It's been so long and I'm worried that they're not : (. Next chapter should be up in two weeks, depending on how much homework I have and if my silly muse decides to keep cooperating. Reviews usually help it along. : P


	12. How Delightful It Is To Enjoy Life

**a/n**: Hi! So here's the next chapter. Sorry it's kinda late. Thank you to everyone you left a review, I really appreciate it! Also thank you to my awesome beta, Tare-chan! Hope everyone enjoys the chapter! ^.^

Rejecting Freedom

Chapter 12

How Delightful It Is To Simply Enjoy Life

The rest of the crew was already in bed, strewn out across the room when I sneaked out of the door, book in one hand and a cup of coffee in my hand. My old hat sat upon my head, something that the little doctor had convinced me to wear, saying he hadn't seen it in a while. I had protested but he had won the argument in the end, running off to grab it for me.

Once outside, I examined places to go, looking for a quiet place to go where I would be able to simply sit and think. There were too many thoughts in my head at the moment and I hadn't had enough time to simply sit and sift through them since my rescue. And while I had tried to process my thoughts with the crew, they seemed determined to make sure I wasn't able to, as if they believed my thoughts would be once again on leaving or something silly of the sort. In some ways, it was my own fault, for being so easy distracted from what I was doing every time one of them called my name.

I found no good place on the ground and finally I decided to go upon the roof, using my devil's fruit ability to climb to the flattest section of the roof. The view was quite good, most of the city within my eyesight. The ocean gleamed from miles away, so peaceful it was amazing that it had ever been violent enough to cause so much damage. The city was quiet now, a few lights still gleaming in the distance, flickering happily. My gaze went to the stars, a feeling of peace spreading over my body as I stared at their delighted glow. A few clouds were passing by but they were thin and not threatening in the least. The moon was bright in the sky, bright enough that I would be able to read, when and if I felt like it. For now, I simply wanted to relax and to think.

It was quite ironic to me that my life had ended up like this. I had been ready to die when the affair with Crocodile ended, ready to become nothing but a forgotten piece of history, to fade away like everything I had lost in the past. Now death was far from my mind, something I would enter into if necessary but something I wasn't going to seek anytime soon. The things I lost weren't so great now, not so life consuming, not something to linger on when I needed a reminder of who I was, what I had been. My hope was reborn and a part of me that knew caring could get me killed or worse was fading away because I wasn't alone anymore.

One hand reached up to take off my hat, placing it on my lap, hand stroking the worn edge of it softly. A natural smile came to my lips, filled with happiness rather than a bittersweet emotion. I had purchased the hat for one reason and one only, it had reminded me of Saul's hat. I was working for Crocodile at the time I had found it and I had almost not bought it at all, focused on looking for decent clothes to use. But I had ended up buying it for a foolish reason, thinking that it would help my attitude towards life become more like that of Saul's, something I could only still pretend at. I had never been able to laugh when life was bad, like he did, just learned how to cover up my emotions, how to hide myself from the rest of the world. I was still glad I had purchased the hat, however. It had helped, in some ways, to make my life better, even if I had all but given up while wearing it.

My hand stroked it once more, wondering if I had any more need for it. In a great many ways, it didn't suit me anymore. I had begun to think death was a more preferable option when I had bought it and had come from the edge of death twice, once with Crocodile and once with Enel,while wearing it. It symbolized me when I couldn't trust the world around me and how desperate I had become, never thinking that I would ever find my Nakama and that the only good memories I could ever have were those from Ohara.

I sighed, wondering if I should get rid of it. I doubted I would wear it again or ever need it to help comfort me in any way with the Nakama I had. But it was a part of my history, even if it was a history I would never want to return to. I had worn it when I first met the crew and that was a happy memory, at how Luffy had shocked me from the very beginning, smashing the Log Post.

I set it next to me softly. I would keep it, no doubt, if only because the past should never be thrown away. I was certain I would never find it upon my head ever again, however. My gaze went back to the stars, at their freedom with a smile, feeling better. I took a sip of my coffee and turned my attention to the soft movement of the ocean, to the comforting sound of water rushing around the city.

The noise of the door drew my attention quickly however, the sound very distinct. No doubt one of the crew had noticed my absence and was coming to see where I was. My hand reached down to scoop up my book and hat, my body preparing to stand when Zoro appeared, climbing up onto the roof. I could only stare at him in surprise, expecting the cook or navigator to be taking his place. For some reason he seemed relieved to see where I was, walking over to sit down next to me with a slight huff. I smiled lightly at his face, which was suspiciously similar to expression at Enies Lobbies.

"Beautiful night isn't it, Mr. Swordsman?" I inquired lightly. His gaze followed mine, taking in the view before coming back to rest on my face.

"Yeah," he replied, taking quite some to reply, as if the view had dazed him in some way. My gaze left him and went back to the heavens, a smile that didn't want to go away staying on my face. We sat in silence for a few moments before I spoke.

"You never allowed me to say thank you for saving me," I murmured, my gaze not drifting towards him, slightly… nervous about his reaction. Out of all the crew, he was the one I most expected to never trust me again, if only because of how I had hurt the crew with my actions. He was silent for a moment.

"Would have done the same for anyone else on the crew," he finally responded. There was a slight edge to his voice, I didn't quite understand although I quickly wrote it off as annoyance at my betrayal. It wasn't something I could blame him for, in fact it surprised me none of the other crewmembers harbored any ill feeling towards me for what I did. Even if it was for them, in some ways, I had tried my best to make them hate me and would have let them take the fall for the assassination if I had been able to.

I shifted positions, tucking my legs closer to my body and wrapping my arms around them, feeling a little better in a more tucked up position. My gaze went the other way, watching the city in that direction, my smile slowly fading.

"Why'd you try to leave the crew?" he asked suddenly. I turned to look at him, testing his mood. His face hadn't changed from when he had first come on the roof, still on edge. His gaze was more firm now, however, his tone more serious and possibly…frustrated? I went back to stargazing, my arms more firmly wrapping around my legs.

"I'm not really sure," I murmured, avoiding the truth as much as possible. I had made a mistake by leaving, it was clear now but I couldn't have watched them die or stayed with them long enough to watch them betray me, although I had doubted it would have been the answer. Even so, I found no reason to state my insecurities, not now.

The swordsman visibly stiffened beside me and when he spoke quietly there was a great deal more frustration in his tone. "What else can you expect someone who manipulated the crew into trusting her to do?" He scoffed, almost to himself. "We protected you from that admiral and you still couldn't trust us?" he demanded after, a little bit louder.

My gaze snapped back to him, my temper rising, lip compressing. I didn't speak, just stared, wondering how he didn't understand that was why I had to leave or why I had thought it was why I had to leave. Saul had protected me from Aojiki, too and had died, even after he took out several marine ships by himself. My temper faded at the memory, mood rapidly sobering as I caught sight of my hat. When I spoke, my tone was even, the bit of sadness in it hardly showing.

"It doesn't matter now," I replied calmly. His firm gaze faded in an instant and I quickly realized I hadn't hid my emotions as well as I had thought. He looked away, one hand going to rest on his katana. I watched silently, watching the emotions flicking away on his face before he rose.

"Wait here," he told me. I stared at him questionly before nodding, tilting my head slightly. He leapt off the roof and there was the sound of the door opening and closing. I stared down at my empty coffee cup, thinking about rising to get some more and ignoring the swordsman's request. The sound of the door opening and closing echoed throughout the air before he reappeared. I blinked at the bottle of wine in his hand that Sanji had purchased earlier in the day in surprise, knowing that he was more likely to go for a stronger alcohol than that.

He sat back down next to me and offered the bottle. "It helps sometimes," he told me evenly. I simply stared at it before shaking my head in amusement.

"That's not necessary, Mr. Swordsman, I'm quite alright with just a little company," I replied in amusement. It was an interesting way to try and cheer someone up but something not my style. He still offered the bottle.

"Haven't celebrated winning the fight, yet," he said, interestingly enough still trying to persuade me. I scanned his face slowly, trying to read it. He looked rather unsure of himself, something I hadn't seen from him very often.

I hesitated for a moment before taking it, if only to give him a small moment of comfort, noticing quickly it had been opened. My gaze went down to my coffee cup, considering pouring it in since I wasn't the type of person to take a swig of something before I decided against it with a touch of amusement and took a swig out of the bottle. Zoro watched silently. Once I was done, I passed it to him. He took it with a grin and followed suit.

For the next few minutes, we sat in silence, passing the bottle back and forth before it was suddenly gone, with him having consumed much more than me. I found that I enjoyed the wine more when I could drink it gradually; enjoying the drink itself rather than the slight buzz it could give. Even so, my smile was back. He was slumped up against the wall, the look of discomfort back on his face. My mind searched for a topic to talk about.

"Who did you fight in Enies Lobbies?" I asked him. He stared at me for a moment.

"Kaku," he responded finally. I placed an elbow on my knees and put my head upon my head, tilting my head, trying to encourage him into continuing. A grin crossed his face. "Good fight. You get any good opponents?"

I shook my head softly. "I'm afraid by the time I was rescued; the crew had defeated all but everyone. I enjoyed fighting alongside Namihowever, even if we were forced to abandon the ship," He stared at me.

"You fought with Franky too, right?" he inquired.

"For a while, yes," I responded with a touch of amusement. "He spent most of the time convincing me that I need to talk to the crew or go back to them. It irritated me slightly, even if it was true," Zoro's face got yet another hard edge to it.

"I think Luffy will invite him onto the crew," he commented. My lips pursed, wondering about the harsh edge.

"Are you against that for some reason? He's shown that we can trust him and he's quite strong," I said softly.

"No," the swordsman replied firmly. "I don't think that he'll want to come. He has lots of attachment here,"

"Very true, but most of the crew rejected the captain at first. We're all here nonetheless," I pointed out.

"Not all of us," he grumbled. "Usopp left the crew," I stared at him in confusion. I had known he and Luffy had fought but I had assumed since he was there at Enies Lobbies that he had been forgiven, to some extent, even if he had run off when we had returned to Water 7.

"I doubt it will be for long," I murmured. "He'll come back sooner or later," His gaze narrowed.

"If we accept him back," he replied. "He left the crew on his own. We don't have to accept him back," I stared, although I knew it made sense. Even so, I doubted it would be something the sniper wouldn't regret quickly.

"So did I," I reminded him softly. "But you all accepted me back even after I tried to pin an assassination on you," He scoffed.

"That's different. You were being an idiot, Usopp knew what he was doing by challenging Luffy," he replied. "You don't challenge the captain unless you want to be out of the crew," A small smile came to my lips.

"A pity I didn't know that before. If I had I might have tried that in the first place to get away from the crew," I told him with a touch of amusement. He stared at me like he thought I was serious.

"Luffy would have made us chase after you anyways," he told me, sounding confident. "You couldn't fool any of us into thinking that you actually hated us," I blinked in surprise, even if the words seemed false to me.

"Usopp and I were simply being selfish when we split from the crew. I don't see why he should be hurt more than me because of it," I replied.

"Usopp left because he couldn't deal with the fact that the ship couldn't sail anymore," Zoro snapped back. "He should have sucked it up like the rest of us and dealt with it. We don't need a crewmember that does that just because things aren't going his way," His outburst shocked me slightly but I nodded anyways.

"I see," I murmured. With that, I let the subject drop, knowing the crew would have to deal with it sooner or later, even if it wasn't a happy thought. And I was too tired to try and deal with it right now. It was getting late and I was all but ready for bed.

I looked down at my possessions and back at the sky with a small sigh before I grabbed them and stood. "It's getting late. Goodnight, Mr. Swordsman," I told him before leaving the roof and walking back inside. He watched me go in silence, although he seemed slightly surprised for some reason.

The next morning brought less noise than I was used to, the crew getting up lazily with the exception of the little doctor. Chopper was scurrying around, a roll of bandages in hand as he checked on the crew's wounds, making sure everything was still fine. I simply watched for a few moments as he tended to the cook's injuries, Sanji with a grateful smile on his face before he rose to go start breakfast. He moved onto Nami who showed a similar expression. When he was done tending to her, she rose and walked over to me. I was still wrapped up in my covers with an amused smile.

"Good morning, Robin," she told me. She sat down next to me and watched Chopper attempt to wake the swordsman. I sent her a bright smile.

"Good morning, Miss Nami," I murmured. "How are you feeling?" She sighed dramatically.

"I'm okay. I didn't get much sleep, thanks to certain idiots, talking in their sleep all night," she replied before an evil grin came over her face. "But they stopped talking after I asked them too,"

I stared at her in amusement. "How good of them to stop when you requested," I commented. She shrugged lightly.

"I might have given them a little encouragement," she bubbled with a smile. "I have a feeling I'll sleep better tonight," Her smile slipped slightly towards worry. "I noticed you didn't get to bed until late. Is everything alright?"

I smiled warmly. "Of course. I had some things I needed to think about on my own, that's all," I murmured. Her expression slid further into worry and it made it quite clear that she thought it meant I had foolishly thought about leaving the crew. I put her fears to rest quickly. "It's nice to have my fears finally put to rest,"

She blinked before her smile reappeared and she looked like she wanted to give me a hug. She nodded. "I know what you mean," Her gaze ran along the crew, focusing on where Sanji had begun to cook, the sleeping form of Zoro and the bandaged form of the captain. She looked like her scan had missed someone, although it didn't affect her smile in the least. It was clear the missing party was the long-nosed sniper, even if it hadn't been brought up as of yet. The conflict was going to be settled soon, however, and there wasn't an ounce of doubt in my mind at that.

I watched the captain consume the food before him in slight fascination, my head tilted slightly. It was clear he was still quite asleep but yet he was still able to pack food into his mouth at a pace that left me wondering how he managed to breath. Chopper sat in my lap, watching with equal fascination and some admiration. Nami was busy talking to Sanji, the cook hanging onto her every word as she described her fight with Kalifa. Zoro was sitting next to the captain, half-paying attention to Luffy and the other half focused on what Nami was saying. I had no interest in the story, although the fact that she had been able to beat the woman made me proud of her.

I left the table a few moments later, setting my dish into the sink with a small smile. Chopper was now enraptured by the cook's story of his fight with the wolf-man, not even seeming to notice when I moved him off my lap. I wondered if there were any good books within this building. My book had long since gone and the rest of them were gone with the rest of the crew's belongings. I was distinctly aware of Sanji's and Zoro's eyes keeping track of me, as if they believed I was going to leave out of the front door and run away.

I walked into one of the adjoining rooms, my eyes scanning for any sign of books within it. I spotted a pile of texts and quickly walked over, my hands beginning to shuffle through them. Several were clearly on ship building and ship care. One described the best ships for different areas while another was simply named after the city. And while I did care about the ship I was living on, I had no wish to read a text about it at the moment, although I wouldn't mind reading it later. I picked up the text named Water Seven and scanned through a few pages. I was delighted to find that it was a history of the island, describing life upon it from the beginning of the city to a few years prior.

I returned to the main area to find that Luffy had finished his enormous meal and had been returned to his bed, where he was snoring with a smile. Zoro sat nearby him, seemingly asleep as well. Sanji was busy with dishes while Nami talked with Chopper, a grin on both of their faces. Nami looked up at me when I walked in, her smile growing. Chopper hopped off of the bench and went to Luffy, no doubt examining him once again.

The navigator walked over to me. "Hey, Robin, do you have any plans today?" she inquired happily. I held up my book with a small smile.

"I thought I might spend the day reading," I replied. Her smile grew to a more mischievous one, which worried me slightly. I doubted I would be manipulated by her due to it but it was impossible to be sure. It was more likely that she wished to torture another of the crew with her free time.

"Good. I need to get some tanning in. There's supposed to be a pool around here somewhere," she told me, her smile all but glued on. A touch of amusement filled me. A pool sounded good, even if I wasn't going to be venturing within the water anytime soon. But it would be nice to be able to lie down in the sun and read.

"I suppose I'll bring my book with me," I replied. She nodded before rushing over to what seemed to be a shopping bag.

"I bought swim suits for us," she explained before taking them out with a grin. One was simply filled with white polka dots on yellow fabric while the other was more simple, a solid purple. She handed the purple suit to me with a slight frown. "I wasn't sure what you would like best,"

I took the suit calmly. "It's just fine, Nami," I replied. She seemed relieved, her gaze sweeping around the room and landing on the swordsman. The evil grin resurfaced.

"I think we might want some protection when we venture out. After all, there might still be marines around," she inquired. My gaze went to her intended victim who had clearly heard the conversation and was trying to ignore her. I decided to spare him the annoyance of my dear cohort.

"I'm certain Mr. Cook wouldn't mind accompanying us," I told her. Her attention snapped back to me before she shook her head slightly. Her gaze went to the cook, who was watching us intently while trying to hide it. It was quite clear he had no scruples coming with us. In fact, it appeared as if he believed the opposite. She motioned for me to follow her before walking outside. I followed silently, wondering what she was planning. The door closed behind us firmly.

"I don't feel like being fawned over like that," she told me when the door was shut. "Besides, he deserves to rest too and he won't with us," I watched her face for a moment before realizing her thoughts. She truly wanted protection while we were relaxing and to be able to let down her guard for a little while. I smiled slightly.

"If anyone comes, I'm more than capable of handling it," I assured her. She suddenly looked as though I had horribly offended her.

"But then you won't be able to relax," she murmured.

"I'm fine without relaxing, Nami," I replied. "I'm relaxed enough knowing that I have the crew to look after me," She frowned lightly before nodding. Her bright smile returned in an instant.

"Let's get changed so we can find the pool," she bubbled before going back inside. I followed her promptly, noticing the way Sanji and Zoro watched as we walked away, one of the men wary and the other hopeful. The expressions vanished when we left to go find the pool.

It took only a matter of moments to find the pool and lawn chairs to stretch out across. Nami adjusted an umbrella to cover her head before she let out a content sigh and closed her eyes. I cracked open my book and began to read, lying on my stomach, the sun softly warming my body in the most pleasant way.

The sound of someone jumping into the pool woke me up in an instant, head rising to look around in surprise. I blinked, taking in the open book that my head had been using a pillow, surprise spreading across my body. That was quite odd. I hadn't fallen asleep above a book in forever; never let myself relax enough to. In fact, it was hard to remember the last time it had even occurred. A small smile crossed my lips before my gaze went to the pool.

Nami was currently swimming in the pool slowly, seemingly quite relaxed. She stopped at the end of the pool closer to me, gaze locking on me.

"Oh, you're awake," she exclaimed. "You should come in, the water's nice," I shook my head lightly but gently closed my book and walked over to her, sitting at the edge of the water.

"I'm afraid I'm unable to do so," I murmured. She stared at me for a moment in confusion before nodding, her gaze almost bashful. Even so, I moved my legs so that they dangled in the water, the cool liquid coming up no further than my ankles. It was an interesting feeling and just as much relaxing as lying out in the sun.

Nami let out a small sigh and moved to float on her back, her gaze going to the sky. I watched with a smile, slowly moving my toes in the water, feeling the liquid running through the spaces. I placed my hands on the ground beside me and slowly lowered myself back, watching the blue sky. Clouds drifted along every now and then in a comforting way, drifting without a purpose. My body felt at peace, the tension leaving my muscles in an unfamiliar but nice way. A true smile blossomed on my lips as I closed my eyes.

Moments later, I heard footsteps and my eyes snapped back open. Chopper and Zoro were walking over, the little doctor carrying a tray of drinks. He seemed quite happy and the swordsman seemed slightly sullen although Chopper's presence seemed to cheer him up.

My gaze went down to Nami, who was watching with a smile. She waved to them before swimming up to the edge of the pool. Chopper's steps grew faster as he hurried to get to us so much that he tripped, sending the drinks flying. His bright smile quickly turned to one of horror. I caught the drinks with my devil's fruit ability in an instant as well as the little doctor.

I left the pool and walked over to him with a smile. "Are you alright?" I inquired gently. He blushed and nodded, looking embarrassed.

"Yeah," he told me softly. I smiled and stood back up.

"Good," I replied with a smile. I took the drinks from the hands and walked over to give one to Nami, who was getting out of the pool. Nami took it with a smile before she look where they came from. I sat back down on my chair, using a towel to dry off my feet silently.

"Where's Sanji?" she inquired.

"He's feeding Luffy. Idiot cook forced us to come," Zoro grumbled. Nami nodded and took a towel, drying herself off before sitting down.

"He didn't let Zoro go by himself because he'd get lost," Chopper added. The swordsman made a sound of annoyance before moving to look at the pool, grumbling something indiscriminate under his breath. I smiled lightly.

"He does get lost quite often," I teased lightly. I received an annoyed look in reply, not even bothering to reply. I smiled and took a sip of my drink. Chopper came over and sat next to me, watching Zoro's examination of the pool. Nami sipped her drink with a thoughtful look before she stood, taking her towel.

"I think I'm going to go back," she told me before leaving. I considered leaving with her for a moment but Chopper's hopeful gaze as he stared at the pool kept me in place.

"Do you want to go sit in the water?" I inquired softly when the navigator had left. The little doctor turned to me with a smile and nodded with excitement. My gaze went to the shallowest area of the pool before I rose, Chopper following me. We sat down in water that barely went further than my calves, Chopper touching the water in curiosity.

I smiled lightly as he watched the water before using an extra hand to splash him slightly. He whirled around in the water in surprise when the water hit his back, but the hand had already disappeared. He eyed the water in suspicion. I used my hand to splash him again. He turned again, looking confused. The original hand reappeared but he turned back in time to see it disappearing. He stared at me for a moment before splashing me with a little giggle.

I splashed back and very soon he was rolling with laughter as he tried to splash me back while I used multiple hands to splash him. He soon gave up altogether and just laughed. I smiled brightly at him and stopped the splashing, moving the hands to tickle him instead. I tilted my head and rested it on my arm, the smile still on my lips. I stopped the hands quickly but couldn't help but to laugh at the little doctor's soaked condition.

Chopper's gaze wandered around the pool before landing on the swordsman who was watching us with a grin. The little doctor's laughing quieted as he leaned up on his tippy-toes to whisper his plan in my ear. I smiled at the intended victim of the plot. Zoro suddenly looked slightly uncomfortable, as if he was thinking about moving, the same look that he got when Luffy was planning something stupid against him on his face. When Chopper turned back to look at him too, the look increased.

We waited a few moments, watching the water in silence, not wanting the swordsman to run away, waiting for him to relax a little. He relaxed rather quickly, gaze going to the water as well. In that moment, I used my devil's fruit ability to throw him into the water, where he landed with a loud splash. He rose to the surface with a scowl, gaze on Chopper and I laughing at him from our area. His scowl was quickly replaced with a light grin seconds before a low wall of water came at the two of us and the water fight began between the devil's fruit users and the non-devil's fruit user.

**a/n**: Hope everyone enjoyed. Next chapter should be posted in about two weeks. Hmmm, there's something else. Oh yeah, I put a poll on my profile about the future of this fic and I want your opinion of where to end the story. Thanks! And of course, reviews are always welcome. Hehe.


	13. Quite an Odd Party

**a/n:** Hi! Thank you to everyone who reviewed as well as to those who took the poll on my profile. The feedback really helped me make a decision. Also, thank you to my awesome beta, Tare-chan! Without further a due, here's the next chapter!

Rejecting Freedom

Chapter 13

Quite an Odd Party

The day after the water fight, I woke to the sound of Chopper's excited voice. My eyes opened slowly and I blinked at the sight of the little doctor bouncing up and down in excitement nearby. I began to smell something like pancakes and my gaze drifted to where Sanji was busy cooking. Sure enough, he was flipping the food on the griddle, brown chunks of a substance that could only be chocolate within the pancake.

I rose to my feet with a small smile and walked over to where Chopper was. He looked up to me with an enthusiastic look on his face. "Sanji is making chocolate pancakes!" he bubbled to me. I nodded and looked over to the cook.

"Sounds tasty," I commented. Sanji did his usual thing and swayed back and forth happily exclaiming his happiness at my comment. I ignored it and made myself some coffee, looking for a cup while it brewed. When done, I poured it in a cup and sat down at the table. Sanji came by moments later to place a plate of pancakes and some fruit before me. He also handed me the morning paper, which I opened quickly with a "Thank you, Mr. Cook,"

Chopper came over and sat next to me, digging into his pancakes with a lot of gusto. The smell of the food woke Zoro and Nami up and they came to the table within minutes. Nami rubbed her eyes as she sat down, hardly noticing when a plate of food was placed in front of her. She simple began to eat, stopping after her first bite with a look that made it clear she found the food good. The swordsman dug into his food without a word, clearly off in his own thoughts. Luffy began to sleepwalk to the table, sitting down and promptly stealing some of Zoro's food, who promptly began to yell at him, even if it was clear the captain didn't hear a word of it.

When Chopper finished his food, he looked up at me with hope in his eyes. "Robin, will you come down to the Franky house with me? I want to make sure that they're alright after the fight," he inquired. I smiled and nodded.

"We can go book shopping too," I suggested. His smile brightened. My gaze swept along the rest of the crew before I stood. "Shall we go?" I inquired. Chopper nodded and ran over to pick up his medicine bags. He grabbed all of them and almost fell over because of all the bags. I walked over with a smile and took one of them from him.

Zoro rose from the table at a similar time. "I'm going out," he told the rest of the crew. Nami frowned at him.

"Where are you going?" she inquired suspiciously. He shrugged.

"Don't know yet," he replied. "Just somewhere else," Chopper stared at him, suddenly worried as well. Nami seemed on the same train of thought. Chances were the swordsman was going to go train, which Chopper had forbidden until he was better healed.

"You're not going to go train, are you?" Nami asked. It was clear he composed his face to make sure it didn't change at her question.

"What makes you think that?" he inquired. The navigator's eyes narrowed.

"If you ruin those bandages, I'm going to triple your debt," she warned him. "We don't have enough money to keep putting new ones on you because you cut them off or because you bled through them," Zoro grimaced. Chopper looked very worried now, looking like he was ready to run at the swordsman and beg him not to train. I frowned at the swordsman, deciding to join in the conversation, gaze drifting off towards the cook. I smiled lightly as a smile came across my face, knowing that I could use their rivalry against Zoro.

I sighed and walked over to the cook, leaving Nami to deal with the swordsman directly. "How are your injuries, Mr. Cook?" I inquired. He stared at me for a moment in surprise before beginning to sway back and forth.

"How considerate of Robin-chan to worry about me!" he bubbled. I smiled lightly, waiting for his response. "I'm going to be healed soon," I nodded and smiled.

"I'm glad. The crew will need some protection since Luffy is hurt and Mr. Swordsman won't be healed for a while," I murmured but loud enough for the words to reach the swordsman's ears. Sanji looked at me before shooting a grin at Zoro, letting me know that he understood what I was doing. I didn't need to see the swordsman's face to know that he had heard the words.

"He's shitty protection anyways," he replied calmly, lighting up a cigarette. "He's too much of an idiot to heal properly," The cook sent another grin at the swordsman, who reacted just as he was supposed to.

"What was that, dart-brow?" Zoro growled. Sanji blew out some smoke.

"You heard me," the cook replied. Nami joined in the conversation quickly.

"Sanji-kun is right," she commented before grinning. "I bet you won't be able to resist from training today,"

A few minutes later, Chopper and I walked out of the building, Zoro grumbling to himself as he left as well. He had taken Nami's bet rather quickly and was no doubt regretting it now that he was actually thinking. Even so, it was for the best that he took some time off from training to heal.

The little doctor and I reached the Franky house quickly, both of our senses of direction making it simple to find the place. The Franky family was rebuilding when we arrived, the area bustling with their work. We were noticed quickly and Chopper explained his purpose for being there without much delay. I simply examined the area around me and the rising building. There were many clear injuries among the men and their two sea horse type pets sat nearby, no doubt healing from injuries. My eyes scanned the area for Franky himself, hoping to talk to him about what he did for me in Enies Lobbies as well as his future. I found no sign of him, however, much to my disappointment.

"Is Franky around?" I inquired to the man Chopper was talking to. He shook his head.

"Franky-bro went to visit Iceburg," he replied. I frowned lightly.

"I see," I murmured before turning to Chopper. "What would you like me to do?" I inquired.

* * *

My fingers brushed the spines of the books upon the shelf silently, eyes scanning the titles as my fingers moved. Some of the spines were soft and worn, others smooth, but my focus was mainly upon those which were soft. The older the book, the more likely it had good historical knowledge that might not be intact in newer books. I also scanned the titles of the newer books, out of interest, not wanting to miss a good historical book because I was assuming that it wouldn't be useful.

Chopper was a few aisles away, in the medicinal section of the bookstore, in his large form and had been for quite a while. I didn't mind in the least. I was in the rarer books section of the store, the more expensive books where I usually found the best results. The store was otherwise silent, just the light sounds of book pages turning filling the air. I enjoyed the silence, the smell of the books in front of me and the feel of age some of them contained.

A book entitled Histories of Devil's Fruits and Their Applications caught my eye and I pulled it from the shelf with some interest, cracking it open gently and reading the first few pages where it introduced what the book was about. It sounded much like what the title read and I set it in the basket the store had given me, upon the three books I had already found.

My eyes went back to the bookshelf and I continued my scan until I reached an older book entitled Notable Katana Throughout History. My gaze locked on the text and I took it off the shelf, once again flipping through the pages with a light interest. I stopped at a page which had an illustration which looked quite like one of the katana Zoro carried around. My interest rose as I gazed at the image, even if I was unsure if it was the correct one. A light amused smile came to my lips as I placed the book within my basket.

"Robin, are you ready to go?" Chopper's voice suddenly rang out. I turned to where he stood with a smile.

"Of course," I murmured. "Did you find many books?" He nodded in excitement.

"I found a book about new herbs!" he exclaimed before pulling it out to show it to me. He pointed to several pictures of herbs to me. I listened silently.

"That should be quite helpful," I told him as I walked towards the register. He followed and placed his books next to mine. I paid for the books quickly, since he, like most of the crew had lost his belongings in the storm while most of mine had been with me.

We went back to the place at Galley La soon afterwards, to find the crew as noisy as ever, Kokoro-san visiting the crew with Chimney.

"We're back!" Chopper exclaimed as we walked in, drawing the attention of the crew to us. He then saluted the cook who was watching us. I watched with a smile. Chopper continued to speak. "I examined the Franky family's injuries. I didn't take my eyes off of Robin, either,"

"Right. Good job, Chopper," Sanji replied. I shook my head at their conversation, still wondering how they could think I was going to run away again. I laughed.

"I won't go anywhere anymore," I assured them. Nami then drew attention to where the crew's possessions had been returned and exclaimed about the adventure being able to be continued. Only moments after we entered the room, Franky burst in to tell the crew about his purchase.

* * *

I sipped my wine with a smile as I watched the rest of the crew beginning to party, sitting in one of the chairs next to the pool. Nami was busy swimming around with Chimney, playing with a giant beach ball. Sanji was cooking some type of cabob on the grill while Chopper and Luffy watched in anticipation. Zoro was a few feet away, just watching as well.

My mind was whirling with thoughts, processing the information which I had learned earlier in the day. My gaze focused on the captain of the crew, simply watching. His family line was shocking, to say the least. I found it fascinating that each member of the family had came to find their place in history as they did. Luffy was still a rookie but he was quickly finding his place in history, nonetheless. It was quite exciting to think that I would see history being made around him as he followed in the footsteps of the former pirate king.

Luffy had once mentioned a brother to me, as well, a short mention before he had found something more interesting than me and my mind grasped to the fact. He had simply told me the name of his brother, Ace, but now I couldn't help but wonder if this brother was none other than Fire Fist Ace. If this was so, then the family's legacy was even more impressive.

Sanji shouted something about the food being done to Nami and my eyes drifted the distance between Luffy and the cook. Kokoro-san took that time to launch herself out of the pool to get some food. The poor cook soon collapsed afterwards, no doubt out of his disappointment from his first mermaid he saw. I laughed at his antics slightly before setting down my glass of wine and walking over to get a portion of the food before the rest of crew stole it. I made it back to my chair before the Galley-La crew came, followed shortly by the Franky family. The pool area quickly flourished out into a large party.

I watched those around me with some amusement as they fluttered around in their party, listening to Usopp singing. After a while, I decided to move outside the main party area. I was never one to actively participate in a party since I was very rarely included in one and as such, I had found long ago that mearly observing others party was a more entertaining way to spend the time. I walked to the wall surrounding the pool and leaned against it with a light sigh as I watched the crew interact. A small smile played on my lips.

"Listen as I speak, Nico Robin," a voice said from behind me. My body froze, my heart stopping for a moment as I recognized Aojiki's voice. No way! He couldn't be here, not now, not when the crew was just now recovering from the earlier battles, not when they were celebrating their victory. He couldn't be here to finish what he had started before the crew had even reached Water 7. A bead of sweat ran down the side of my face as I noticed my frozen wine.

"Why didn't you run like you always do?" Aojiki questioned. "I'm sure you could have run away, even from CP9, if it were only you," I leaned against the wall for more support. Why was he asking this? I took a deep breath, trying to mask my fears.

"I told you that it's different from before, didn't I? I couldn't leave them… stranded," I explained, my voice surprisingly calm. He was silent for a few moments, making my nervousness rise.

"The giant who fought for Ohara 20 years ago, Jaguar D. Saul, we were… very good friends. It is my duty to observe what you do with your life because I respected his will and let you get away from the island," he told me slowly. I listened in shock. He and Saul…had been friends? And yet he had frozen Saul solid without a care.

"I decided that I could no longer leave a ticking time bomb like you roam free. One who hasn't found a place to harbor herself and is still wandering around even after 20 years. Most of all…I thought you just wanted to die. I…I intended to put everything about Ohara to an end this time. Of course, I never expected CP9 would fall," Aojiki explained. My gaze ran around the crew partying, knowing that if he decided to attack, I need to warn someone. My eyes stopped on the swordsman laughing with Paulie and a few members of the Franky family, taking slight comfort that he was so close. Aojiki continued, "Did you finally find a place to harbor yourself?"

My mind froze at the calmness of his voice, at the simple questioning tone in his voice without the slightest sign of a threat. My body relaxed slightly, thinking that he wasn't here to attack after all. If that was the case, what did he want? Or was he simply explaining everything to me, as to not appear as a villain in my eyes, to not appear as something I should fear, as I had for so long? My voice was firm when I answered, no confusion within it. "Yes," I murmured.

His tone became slightly amused at my answer. "Whether or not Saul's decision to let you live was correct, are you going to show me the answer?" he inquired.

"I intend to," I replied with the same tone.

"Then live your life to the fullest, Ohara hasn't fallen yet," he said. I waited a few moments for him to continued, for him to warn me of what would happen if I didn't abide by it, for some further explanation for his actions. There was only silence. I felt my wine grow slowly warmer and I looked down to find it unfrozen. He couldn't be gone, could he?

The wind glass dropped to the floor as I hurried to the nearest exit to find the man who seemed to have been looking after me all this time. His name left my lips as I rounded the wall, gaze searching for him. But the only thing that showed he had ever been there was a large patch of ice against the wall we had both leaned against. My gaze searched the surrounding trees with some hope but he was gone, surprisingly enough to my disappointment. Didn't he have anything more to say to me, something to confirm the suspicion in my head that throughout everything, I had someone who had cared about what I was doing, about who I had become? My gaze searched the forest once again

"Hey, Robin, look!" the captain's voiced shouted out, catching my attention. Chopper shouted my name as well soon after, as if to make sure I was looking. A smile came to lips all by itself at the sight of the captain with sticks up his nose and extended to his lips, stretching his face out oddly. As Usopp and Chopper told Luffy how cool they thought that was, my body relaxed, allowing the questions Aojiki's conversation had put in my mind to slide away. They weren't as important now. For now, perhaps I would simply join in a party, for once in my life.

I ran to the rest of crew with a bright smile on my face. I stared at what Luffy was doing before deciding it looked fun. "Shall I try that, too?" I inquired to the rubber man. A big, distorted grin lit up his face at my question.

"Yeah! Do it, Dooo it, Robin!" Usopp and Chopper chanted almost exactly together. I laughed and picked up some sticks, to the dismay of the cook.

"No, don't, Robin-chan!" Sanji shouted at me, panic in his eyes. I simply smiled at him.

"You should try it to, Mr. Cook," I suggested. He stared at me as though I was crazy before Nami walked over and stole Luffy's sticks.

"Will you stop that?" she asked him in annoyance. I watched him pout while Chopper and Usopp tried to wrestle the sticks back from Nami, before deciding to let them be since I doubted that my involvement would help the situation any. I went to where the wine was still sitting with a light laugh and took another glass before starting to pour myself a new glass. I was interrupted by Iceburg, who was grabbing a bottle of rum.

"You seem happier now," he commented. I smiled and took a sip, watching where Nami and Luffy were still battling over the sticks. He seemed to get over the sticks and left, leaving the navigator to watch him carefully in. He returned with some type of basket and began to treat it like a drum before starting to dance around. My smile grew.

"I am," I replied to the carpenter. He nodded and followed my gaze to where the crew was frolicking.

"I still don't understand why you insist on chasing after the poneglyphs. Let the past rest," he advised. I took a sip of my wine with a frown.

"I can't," I murmured. "Not until I find out the True History," He frowned in clear disapproval but didn't say anything, just nodded.

"I only hope that nothing bad comes out of it," he told me. I watched him go silently.

"As do I," I murmured as he left. Nami came over almost as soon as he left a bright smile on her face.

"Hey, Robin, you should come with me," she told me. I tilted my head.

"To do what?" I inquired happily. She shot a glance to where the swordsman had entered a drinking contest with several of the Galley-La workers with a frown.

"Zoro said that he could win a drinking contest against anyone and I want to prove him wrong," she finally told me. I blinked in surprise before smiling wickedly.

"And you want to prove him wrong?" I inquired. She grinned.

"Of course. I even put his debt on the line," she told me. I considered it for a moment, knowing that alcohol had a low effect on my body, something I had long since written off as an unfortunate side effect of my devil's fruit ability. And while I didn't see the fun of drinking enough to pass out, even after joining several competitions, I was willing to try this one, if only because some of my crewmates would be participating.

"I'll play then," I replied. She smiled at me before dragging me off to where Zoro and several other men were waiting.

Her grin became wicked as she stared at the men. "Are you ready to lose?" she inquired. Zoro met her with a grin of his own. He caught sight of me and stared, possibly in confusion. I smiled at him and sat down in the circle, snagging a cup as they were passed around. Nami sat down next to me.

"I'm glad you decided to join in, Robin. It wouldn't be half as fun just playing with these guys," she commented to me lightly. I placed my head on my hand and smiled.

"I thought it might be interesting to play," I replied. Nami clapped her hands together.

"Okay, let's get this started!" she said cheerfully. "Where's our first bottle?" One of the Franky family members swiftly handed her a bottle and she opened it before pouring it in everyone's cup. I drank it swiftly, doing my best to ignore the uncomfortable burn that raced down my throat as the liquid passed through.

I placed my cup down on the ground when I was done, watching the other members of the game slowly do the same. Nami started to reach for the bottle to refill everyone's glass but I simply used my devil's fruit ability to do it for her. She sent me a grateful smile in response.

A few rounds later and it was only Nami, Zoro and I left in the game, the rest of the group leaving when they realized the swiftly rising competition between the first mate and navigator of the crew. I simply enjoyed observing the quiet rivalry, down to the amusing challenging looks they kept giving one another. I kept drinking as well, although I doubted either one of them truly noticed that I was even still in the game.

Six bottles of rum later, Nami admitted defeat with a sullen expression. Her face had gone quiet pale and it was clear she wasn't going to drink the rum in her glass that she continued to stare at. I had finished mine long before, as had the swordsman. Her eyes flickered up to the swordsman, who was grinning at her before she set down her cup with a pout.

"Fine, you win," she told him. It was an interesting decision, for her, but I doubted she wanted to deal with passing out due to over drinking. I was feeling slightly drunk at this point, although I didn't think it showed. Zoro grinned at the navigator. She avoided his gaze and turned to look at me. Her grin resurfaced. "You still haven't won our bet though. Robin is still in the game," she told him triumphantly.

I smiled as Zoro's head swiveled to stare at me, surprise clear on his face. "I'm afraid she's right, Mr. Swordsman," I told him. Nami sighed and stood up unsteadily.

"I think I'll go to bed now. Let me know if you beat him, okay, Robin?" she inquired. I nodded.

"Of course," My gaze ran around the area, knowing that she shouldn't be walking back alone. I caught gaze of the cook, who was talking with Franky about something. I smiled at Nami. "You should ask if Mr. Cook wants to go back with you," I suggested. She nodded.

"Thanks for the idea," she replied before going over to the cook. I turned my attention back to the swordsman before me.

"Shall we get back to the competition?" I inquired. He nodded and poured both of us a new cup. He picked his up and got ready to drain it. Before he could, I moved my cup to touch his. "Cheers," I said before drinking my glass. He grinned before doing the same. Within moments his glass was back on the ground. He stared at me for a moment, as if thinking of something before rubbing his neck awkwardly.

"You enjoying the party?" he finally inquired. I blinked in surprise before nodding and pouring the next round.

"It's quite entertaining," I replied. My gaze drifted to where the rest of the partiers were, most of them already gone by now. Several were still at it, however. "Although I doubt Nami will be glad when she finds out the rest of the money is gone,"

"We spent it all, eh?" he inquired. I nodded in amusement and tipped the bottle in my hand.

"I believe the last bit of it was spent to buy all this rum," I replied. He looked down at his filled cup and picked it up, as if he had forgotten about the competition before drinking it. I did the same.

"I would have spent my share on it anyways," he commented. "Did you have anything special you were going to use your share on?" I stared out into the distance, thinking of what I should say. To be honest, I hadn't thought of such a thing before, if simply because I had been so sure I was leaving the crew once we reached this island. So I lied.

"I was planning on using it to buy books," I replied. He poured the next round and drained it. I followed suit. "This was a much better use of the money, if only because I can see everyone who helped save me happy," I smiled brightly. "It's not very often I have something to celebrate after all,"

"You don't celebrate accomplishments very well," he muttered. "All you did in Skypiea was watch everyone else party and read some book," I tilted my head and placed my hand on my face.

"Everyone has their own opinions about makes a party," I replied. "I quite enjoyed the history in Skypiea," He stared at me as if I were crazy.

"You have to take a break from your goal every now and then and just relax," he told me. "Don't work so hard all the time," My smile became amused.

"Even when I enjoy it so much?" I inquired. Zoro stared for a few moments, as if he was expecting a different response.

"Yeah," he replied. "You need other hobbies than just sitting around and reading a book. Grow plants or something like that," I blinked in surprise.

"More hobbies?" I inquired, a smile covering the surprise on my face. My thoughts turned to the fact that this would be a good chance to try and sneak in some questions about him personally, questions that I hadn't worried over since we first arrived on Skypiea, where he didn't open up to me in the least. "What are your hobbies?"

He stared for a moment, as if caught off guard before obviously thinking. "Eh, training," he replied. "Probably drinking, sleeping," I smiled.

"I see," I replied, slightly surprised that he had answered the question. "Perhaps you need to add some diversity to your hobbies as well," He stared at me.

"What are your hobbies?" he shot back. I smiled and thought for a moment.

"Reading…examining history," I replied. His grin made it clear he thought he had won that argument, which I had to agree with. Even so, I wasn't going to let him get away with such a thing. My more devious side revealed itself. "Making plots against the crew," I teased. His face afterwards made me laugh lightly, the surprise in it; as if he truly thought I was being serious.

I sighed and watched as Luffy catapulted himself across the pool area to smack right into Franky, sending both of them flying to the ground, Franky's face one of horror. Zoro watched as well, just as silent. "Gardening might be a nice change of pace," I commented. "I'll have to see if there's a space on board for plants on the ship Franky builds for us," The swordsman nodded before abruptly remembering the rum and pouring us each another cup. He offered it to me and I drank it with a small head shake and a smile.

A loud noise made me raise my head to see Zoro on the ground, Luffy on top of him with a wide grin, anger on the swordsman's face. I giggled at the sight, as well as the clear sight of the swordsman's rum spilled on his face. Luffy turned to me with a grin.

"What cha guys up to?" he inquired. I showed him the cup in my hand.

"A drinking competition," I replied calmly. Luffy made it clear he found the results boring. His head swiveled around, staring.

"Did Nami go back?" he asked me, hope in his eyes. I nodded.

"She went back with Mr. Cook," I told him. His grin widened and seconds later, he was taking out his sticks and performing his earlier trick. He seemed ready to say something to me when an angry Zoro interrupted.

"Get off me, you idiot!" he shouted at the captain. Luffy looked down at him for a moment, as if surprised.

"How'd you get down there, Zoro?" he inquired before moving away with a grin to sit across from me, sticks still in. The swordsman mumbled something to himself and sat up, wringing some of the rum out of his shirt. Luffy didn't seem interested, just focused on me. Moments later, he was offering me a pair of sticks. Zoro shook his head and got up to get another bottle of rum, since Luffy had spilled the bottle as well when he had shot himself over.

"It's your turn to try it," he told me. I stared at the sticks for a moment before grinning and taking them. This caught the attention of Chopper who rushed over, excitement in his eyes. Usopp came over moments later.

"Are you going to try it, Robin?" the little doctor exclaimed. I laughed.

"I suppose I have to," I replied. My tone became serious, my face firm, even if it felt like a smile was going to break through. "Unless you don't want me to,"

"No!" Chopper told me, dejection in his eyes.

"Do it, Robin!" Usopp encouraged me, along with the captain. I smiled at them before staring at the captain and how he had the sticks arranged. Then, although it felt quite silly, I put them both up my nose and rested them on my bottom lip.

"Like this?" I inquired, when this was done, surprised at how easy it was to speak with the sticks in the way. Chopper fell over laughing and I quickly joined as did Usopp and the captain. When Zoro came back, he seemed to resist the urge to laugh but quickly joined in as well. When the giggle fit was over for me, I watched the others laugh before smiling as wickedly as I could around the sticks.

I crossed my arms across my chest while the others laughed; talking amongst themselves about how silly I looked. No one of them seemed to notice when I stole three more pairs of sticks using my devil's fruit ability. They did notice, however, when I used my ability to still their heads before making them look like the captain and myself, with the exception of Usopp, since his mask was in the way. The look of surprise on their faces was priceless, especially Zoro's. When done, I giggled, a bright smile on my face as I rested my head on my hand. Luffy grinned.

"Robin's awesome," he laughed. Chopper got over his initial shock and started laughing as well, pointing at Zoro.

"You look funny, Zoro!" He giggled. Usopp's gaze turned towards the swordsman's as well and he seemed to suppress his laughter before it burst out his lips. Zoro still seemed in shock before turning to glower at me.

"Oi! What was that?" he inquired. And while the swordsman being angry wasn't usually something I wanted, I could help but to smile at his face, holding back my laughter as best as I could. He hadn't quite managed to accomplish talking around the sticks either, which made his words add to my amusement. Luckily, Luffy saved him from further degradation by pulling out his basket from somewhere and starting to loudly sing Usopp's song, although it was quite out of tune. Usopp took offense to that, hitting the captain lightly before standing taller.

"Allow a professional to do that, Luffy-kun," he told him before breaking out in song as well. Before long, Usopp, Luffy and Chopper were all singing horribly, strutting around in some type of odd dance. I watched and laughed, enjoying the show while Zoro seemed caught in between laughing at them and being ashamed for them. And just like that, all my worries, any thoughts of the future or what would happen flew from my mind. For once in my life, I was able to just focus on the present and enjoy it, my mind full with the knowledge that tomorrow wasn't going to be horrible.

**a/n:** Hope everyone enjoyed the chapter and I'd love to hear your opinions through review! Hehe.


	14. An Amusing Day

**A/N**: Sorry it took so long to update, finals are evil! Thank you to everyone who reviewed and I hope you enjoy the chapter. Oh, and thanks to my awesome beta Tare-chan.

Rejecting Freedom

Chapter 14

An Amusing Day

My fingers ran through the cloth before me, a bright smile on my face. The fabric of the clothing was particularly fine but I knew it wouldn't be practical for someone on the sea to wear. Nami stood next to me, excitement in her eyes as she shuffled through the clothes in front of us, her thoughts about furniture for the ship long gone. It was for the best however, since it was all but impossible to buy furniture for a space you'd never seen before.

A light purple top caught my eye and I pulled it out with a hint of curiosity. I enjoyed the color very much and the fabric was practical, not too heavy to be too hot and not too light to be see-through. It would make a nice shirt while on the ship, but not on land. I always wore more…revealing clothes on land, when I wasn't just in the presence of my crewmates. I had learned long ago that such clothing helped in various ways, the most important of which being distraction. Such revealing clothing also helped to make me seem that much less dangerous, making others underestimate me the way they had for so long.

I heard Nami pull something off the rack beside me moments before her voice sounded. "Do you think this would suit me?" she inquired. I turned my head to look at the bright red top she held with a considering gaze, taking it how it looked beside her skin. It didn't look the best on her, the style not suiting her body but I wasn't about to tell her in such a rude way. My gaze drifted along the clothes before me and I pulled out a green tank top whose fabric would cling enough to hug her curves but to not be uncomfortable.

"How about this instead?" I inquired. She frowned, putting the red top back down and taking the green one from me. She stared at the fabric, feeling it and checking the price tag before smiling brightly and moving it against her skin. She moved in front of the nearest mirror before shooting a glance at me.

"You have such good tastes," she bubbled. I smiled and placed the purple top I had picked up back down, deciding I didn't like it enough to buy it. Nami folded the shirt over her arm and walked back over to the rack. She shuffled through clothes for a moment as I turned back to run my eyes over the clothes. The navigator suddenly was forcing a light sea foam green top on me with a grin.

"I think this would look good on you," she told me before dragging me over to the mirror to show me. I smiled hopelessly and allowed her to match it against my skin with a bright smile. I stared at the top, considering its tone as well as its length. It would stop just above my stomach but looked comfortable overall. I took the top from her with a light smile.

"I think I'll get it," I told her. She smiled, her gaze catching the shoes in the store.

"We should go look at shoes," she told me in excitement. I looked at the shoes selection in question before wordlessly walking over. Nami quickly ordered one of the employees of the store to bring us several pair and I simply listened, trusting the younger woman's fashion sense. I could use some new styles in my wardrobe anyways and it would be nice to have more selection in clothes then the selection I currently owned.

Almost an hour later, we walked out of the store, finally done looking choosing clothes. An employee walked out after us, bags in his hands as he headed to the Galley-La quarters the crew was staying at. The shop had graciously offered to deliver the bags to the quarters for no charge, in thanks for the crew's part in saving Iceberg, no matter that I had been the original one to shoot him.

"I feel good about what I bought, don't you, Robin?" the navigator inquired, her face happy. I matched her smile, feeling relaxed and enjoying the girl's day out with Nami.

"Of course. I might have to borrow some pairs of those shoes," I replied. "If you don't mind," She shook her head before grinning like that cat that had eaten the pet bird.

"Not at all. I'll being borrowing some of yours too," she assured me. Her gaze swept to the shops around us. "Is there anywhere you want to go specifically or should we just walk around and shop where ever?"

I gazed at the shops as well before shaking my head. "Anywhere you'd like to go would be just fine with me," I told her. She pursed her lips for a moment.

"Hmmm, I think it would be fun just try on clothes for a while," she suggested. "I wonder if there are any shops here with dresses," I blinked.

"Dresses?" I inquired in surprise. She nodded.

"Vivi and I did it in Alabasta. It was fun pretending to be someone else," she explained. I smiled in amusement.

"I believe some of the costume shops around here could help us in our search," I told her. She grinned.

"You might just be right," she said. "Let's try and find a map of the city or something to find one. Or do you know of one we can go to?" I did indeed know where one could be found, a location I had unfortunately learned from CP9. Even so, I was quite glad that I knew where one was since it saved us time here.

"We'll need some transportation," I murmured back. "It's quite far away, near the food markets, I believe," Nami grinned before she looked around for some poor, innocent victim to help us find transportation.

I smoothed the dress I was wearing with a light smile, doing my best to ignore how odd it looked on me, the animal print upon it not my style in the least. Nami had picked it with an evil grin, a grin which had faded when I had picked out the dress that could have been a pillowcase out for her. With one last regretful glance at the mirror I went out to see the navigator, whose face was firm. She shook her head.

"Neither of us did very good," she told me sadly. "Let's try again," I nodded before walking over to where the costumes hung and pulled out a costume which reminded me of a fairy tale villain.

"I think you should try this next," I suggested. She walked over and stared at it for a moment before pulling me out a costume that looked like a prince's outfit. She took her costume from me with a grin and handed me the prince one in exchange. I stared at the costume for a moment before walking into the changing room and putting it on. The effect was quite humorous and I walked back out with a smile. Nami appeared with a small smile, as if she was hesitant to admit she liked the costume. Her smile grew at the sight of me.

"I like it," she declared, walking over to look at me. She laughed lightly. "Sanji-kun would be disappointed he missed this if he knew," Her smile grew more devious and she walked over to the princess dresses and took two out, one dark blue and the other a light yellow. "Can you imagine how the crew would react if we ever wore these?" she inquired. I shook my head ruefully.

"I'm afraid of what Mr. Cook's reaction would be," I replied. She frowned at me.

"You started calling everyone by their names but Sanji and Zoro," she commented. "Is there a reason why?" I frowned lightly at her question. My silence made her grin. "You don't have a crush on either one do you?"

I blinked in surprise at that before smiling in amusement. "No such thing," I told her calmly. "I don't have time to worry about relationships," She seemed disappointed but covered it up quickly and handed the blue dress to me.

"Let's try these on," she told me. I stared at the dress before taking it with some amusement and putting it on. When done, I stared at myself in the mirror, then at the dress. It was truly such a silly thing to be wearing, such a useless article of clothing. I walked back out to find Nami waiting, twirling in the mirror with a smile on. She turned to me with a grin.

"You look good in that, Robin," she told me before she looked thoughtful. "I wonder if we could get our pictures taken in these, to document the experience,"

"We could probably ask the people who work here," I commented back. She smiled before ringing the bell for assistance. The woman who worked in the shop had given us our own personal dressing area with plenty of costumes, yet another perk we were given due to the town's gratitude. The worker rushed in, concern on her face that faded when she saw the dresses.

"You two look so beautiful," she exclaimed. Nami grinned and twirled around to show off the dress.

"I know," she replied. "Do you think we could get a picture of us?" The worker frowned.

"I'm afraid that we can't, not unless you agree to allow the store to use the picture as well," she explained. Nami frowned before she smiled wickedly.

"We would get paid from it too?" she inquired. The woman thought for a moment before nodding.

"I believe you would get either the dresses as payment or 5,000 Beli," she said. "Of course, since you are the famous Straw hats, I'm sure the store would be willing to give you a bit more, considering they'd want to use you for advertising,"

Nami grinned. "I like this store," she commented. "I agree. Don't you, Robin?" I smiled, catching sight of a crown. I walked over and grabbed it, placing it on Nami's head.

"This would suit you best in the picture," I told her. She seemed shocked at my actions before walking over and grabbing me a pair of fake glass slippers.

"We should make this a theme," she told me, handing me the shoes. I smiled at her before slipping them on without a word. The store employee looked excited.

"I'll go grab the camera," she told us before running off. Nami sat down on the couch in the room and sprawled out. I sat next to her calmly, adjusting my skirts to show off the shoes.

Nami grinned as she ate, no doubt because the meal was free, bought with the money the costume shop had given us for the picture. A copy of the picture lay in its own bag, where it was being protected by the navigator. The picture itself had made my heart swell, to see a picture of a good time, a good time that I wouldn't have to reflect back to when things finally took a nose dive. The picture's theme itself was ridiculous but good anyways.

I ate my food more slowly, enjoying watching the navigator happily eat than the food itself. Sanji's food was much better, I was sad to say and the fact was odd in my mind. Perhaps the whole thing was in my mind as well, that Sanji's food tasted better only because it was made especially for me and so treated with special care.

As expected, Nami finished her food first and just watched me eat afterwards. She soon seemed to grow bored.

"Hey, Robin, what's your opinion on love?" she inquired. I stared at her in surprise.

"Why do you ask?" I inquired, avoiding the question entirely, if only because I knew that she wouldn't enjoy the answer.

She sighed. "I don't really know. I used to think about it when I was younger, before Arlong came and I've been thinking about it lately all of a sudden," I frowned.

"Is there anything specific that brought these thoughts up?" I inquired, still avoiding the question carefully. She frowned, then sighed.

"I've just been thinking that it would be nice to have someone there in that way," she replied. I thought about her comment for a moment, understanding what she meant but also knowing it wasn't something I would chase after. I was currently just glad to have people around me who I could trust, people who wouldn't betray me when given the option.

Nami stared at me. "So what do you think about love?" she inquired. I delayed from answering from taking a bite of my food and thinking how to phrase my answer in a way which wouldn't crush all of her hopes.

"I'm afraid love is something I haven't ever had time to worry about," I replied. "Even now, I would rather focus on the history of a civilization than whether or not a relationship would work,"

Nami stirred her drink slowly, a thoughtful expression her face before she smiled. "You'd probably be a good mom," she told me slowly. I blinked in surprised before smiling slowly and shaking my head.

"You'd make a better mother than me," I replied, thinking back to my own mother, who had left me to look for history. It wasn't something I blamed her for, if only because I understood her reasons and I could quite easily see myself doing the same thing. I was too attached to my dreams to settle down somewhere long enough to raise a child and raising a child on the seas, subject to attacks was not a good idea. The idea became worse when I considered the child would be persecuted for being my child. If anything happened to me after their birth, I didn't want them to have a life that was similar to my own.

Nami smiled at that comment. "Do you really think so?" she inquired, sounding excited but doubtful at the same time. I smiled lightly in amusement.

"Of course. If you're able to keep our crew in line, a child would be quite simple in comparison," I replied. Her smile grew slightly.

"It would have to be after I mapped the world, though," she commented. "Then I think I'll return to my home and finish my life there,"

"A nice sounding idea," I told her. She took a sip of her drink.

"What are you going to do when you finish your dream?" she inquired. I shook my head and placed my face on my hand, tilting my head slightly in the process.

"I don't know," I told her with a smile. "There is a lot of history still lost in the world. I think I would continue to travel around and document it," Nami's smile slipped slightly, her expression thoughtful but woeful.

"When you've done that, maybe you can come to my village. You'll always be welcome there. I'm sure the rest of the crew will always accept you, too," she told me, making it clear she had just remembered that I had nowhere to return to.

"I'll keep that in mind," I replied. "Shall we pay for this and continue shopping?" Nami frowned at me before nodding slowly.

"Yeah, that sounds good," she replied.

I paid for my book silently before setting it within my bag. Nami had decided to go to another store instead, seeing some clothes that she liked. I had told her I was going to go look at books instead, something she took in stride quite well. We were to meet in front of a nearby store when we were done, so we could continue shopping.

I walked outside and went to Nami and I's meeting place right away. I watched the water for a few moments, standing around and waiting. Nami appeared from a few stores across the way and waved at me. I smiled in response before she was lost in the crowds as she headed over to where I was.

"Damn, I'm tired," a voice grumbled from nearby. I quickly realized it to belonged to Zoro and I turned to find him toting around three babies while wearing quite a short shirt with the words 'mama' imprinted on the chest. It quickly brought a true smile to my face, if only because the moment was so rare and oddly adorable, in a way.

"Looks pretty rough," I commented, false pity in my voice. The swordsman did indeed look quiet worn down, almost slumping on the ground as he walked. The fact didn't surprise me since it was quite normal for children to wear down an adult quickly with their energy. He replied quickly, not looking at me at all and I began to wonder if he had even noticed my presence in the least.

"You're right, why do I have to be treated like this," he complained. My smile grew as I realized he had indeed not noticed me and was replying without any thought in the least. He finally seemed to notice the fact that he was having a conversation with some and turned to me. His face changed in an instant, going from weariness straight to panic. "It's you?" he shouted.

Only moments later I was being forcibly pushed into a nearby alleyway, a smile on my lips at his frantic antics. His face was growing red as he did this, not even seeming to be putting much effort into pushing me. I did nothing, since it was clear he was going to speak eventually but still wanted to be out of sight. He also obviously didn't want to be seen as he was, even if it was rather…cute that he was tending to children. Perhaps he feared the destruction of his tough image, although that was already gone in my mind after watching him with the captain and the little doctor, where his soft side was more apparent.

I waited for him to speak but his words never truly came, only a curse leaving his mouth as his face grew ever redder. In my view of him, it was very odd since he rarely couldn't think of words to explain something, even if some of the words he probably wished he could take back after they were said. I took in his expression, still a smile on my lips and wondering if he was truly embarrassed enough to not be able to form words.

"Robin?" Nami's confused voice called out. In my discovery, I had almost forgotten about her but it also meant that I needed to wrap up this conversation fast, as to not confused the poor navigator any further. I leaned out of the alleyway, looking to see if she was coming this way. Zoro leaned out as well, his face fearful of someone else discovering him. Nami called my name a few more times before walking down the walkway in clear confusion. I decided to join her quickly and walked out of the alleyway, turning to the swordsman before I left.

"Don't worry, I won't tell anyone," I assured him, since that seemed to be the main source of his panic. He seemed almost relieved by the fact, although I truly didn't understand why. I stopped after a step or two, "By the way, it suits you," I informed him, referring to both the events right then and the previous events on the ship. His face quickly became redder, a small expression of shock on his face as he made slightly flustered sounds, once again at a loss for words. I couldn't help but to laugh lightly at his expression before I walked away in pursuit of the confused navigator.

I found her quickly, a small expression of relief appearing on her face as she saw me, no doubt her thoughts going to the worst possible place when she couldn't find me. She, along with most of the crew, still didn't understand that I had no intention of running away ever again. It was an issue I would need to work on in the future, to make sure they all knew I was part of the crew and intended to continue as such. She took in my expression slowly before sending a weak smile my way.

"Where did you go? You were there one minute and then next you were gone!" she exclaimed. I smiled slightly in amusement.

"I'm afraid I found something to interesting to miss," I replied. She stared at me, seemingly expecting me to add something to my words before she realized I wasn't going to add anything to my words. A bright smile quickly came to her face.

"I found a shop we should go into," she told me before pointing off in the direction she had come from. "Let's go!" She began to walk in the direction she had pointed and I quickly followed, but not before I sent another smile in the direction where I had seen the swordsman.

I examined the illustration in the book slowly, eyes taking in all the details. In some ways, I wished I had more light to look at the illustration with, to take in the small details of the symbol for the civilization but I had only a candle to study it by. I didn't want to create any more light because the rest of the crew was already asleep for the night and I didn't want to disturb them. To my surprise, the swordsman even seemed tired, not even bothering to try and train after he ate, he simply going to bed afterwards. The thought brought a light smile to my lips. Taking care of others was hard work after all and although many of the crew sometimes acted like children, they were much less trouble.

A loud noise, which came from the kitchen made me look up in curiosity. The noises continued, sounding much like someone banging something against a wall or some other solid object. I waited for it to stop and when it didn't, I quickly set down my book and went over to the area where the noise was coming from. I almost ran in Luffy, his arms full of food. He seemed surprised but oddly enough acted by stuffing all the food in his mouth, as if to hide the evidence.

Before he could cram all the food into his mouth, he noticed it was me he had run into and not the cook, who would have probably punished him for stealing food from the kitchen yet again. He sighed lightly in relief swallowing some of the food and taking some of it out. "Oh, it's just you," he commented before taking his stash of food to the table and setting it down. I watched in light amusement before returning to the table, picking up my book quickly to make sure it didn't get any food on it as the captain began to inhale the meat before him.

I waited until he was done eating before talking. "You're up quite late," I commented. He looked up from where he was rubbing his stomach in contentment.

"I was hungry," he said, as if that explained everything. He stared at my book. "What's that about?" he inquired. I stared at him for a moment, slightly surprised that he would take interest in the book, even if he had taken some interested in my reads before.

"A civilization that disappeared without a trace some time ago," I told him, keeping it simple, as I knew that his attention span was even shorter at night then it was during the day. His attention seemed to be caught after my words, so I continued. "I'm currently reading about their traditional human sacrifices. They used to capture enemy tribes and cut their chests open so they could remove the internal organs and use them for various acts of worship. As for the leaders of the tribes, they would boil them alive for dinner and eat them as a show of power," Luffy seemed slightly thoughtful.

"What do you think Sanji will cook for dinner tomorrow?" he inquired. I blinked, wondering how he went from my explanation to that.

"I'm sure whatever he cooks will be tasty," I replied. Luffy nodded, a grin on his face. "Although I doubt Mr. Cook will be happy about your midnight raid," Luffy's face fell slightly before he frowned.

"You don't think Franky will give him locks for the fridge on the new ship, do you?" he inquired, worry in his tone. I laughed lightly.

"Perhaps you should send him a request not to," I suggested. Luffy grinned and stood up.

"Yosh, I'll go let him know right now!' he exclaimed. I smiled at him and shook my head lightly.

"If you do that, you'll spoil the surprise of what the ship will look like," I told him. He seemed to think on it for a moment before he sat back down, his face disappointed. "Perhaps you can send a note to the Franky house tomorrow to let him know," I suggest. He brightened back up in an instant, laughing for a moment.

"You're smart!" he told me. "I'm glad you're part of my crew," I smiled in response, my mind responding for me, although the response never left my lips. I was quite glad to be part of the crew as well. I stared at the captain, who was looking towards the kitchen, his face showing his hunger that had developed over the past few moments. To be honest, I had my being there mostly in thanks to Luffy, because he had been the one to change my mind. In some ways, I doubted anyone else on the crew would have been able to convince me since they would have only been able to try and destroy my reasoning rather than calmly ordering me to come. I laughed lightly to myself.

"Thank you," I murmured. Luffy looked at me in surprise, confusion on his face. It made my smile increase, although the smile felt oddly…bittersweet. I set my book back on the table and opened it to the page I had been examining earlier, doing my best to cover the emotions that were threatening to show. Luffy watched me read for a few moments before he grew noticeably bored, yawning widely. He continued to sit there, then decided to play with the flickering candle, as if he was trying to keep me company. He burned himself several times before I closed my book and stood up, faking a yawn.

"I think I go to bed," I informed him. He leaped up immediately, seeming relieved before he yawned again and slumped off in the direction of where the rest of the crew was sleeping. I sighed before extinguishing the candle and following him.

"Goodnight, Robin," I heard him mumble as he crawled into bed. I did the same as I folded myself into my sheets, knowing that I would be up a while longer, my body not tired enough to fall asleep. Surprisingly enough however, as soon as my head hit the pillow, I was able to close my eyes and fall asleep without much trouble.

**A/N**: Hope everyone liked the chapter and reviews would be appreciated, as always.


	15. Such Difficult Decisions

_A/N:_ Hi! For starters, I'm so sorry about the gap between updates. I hoping this story won't go through another one. In any case, thank you to everyone who reviewed. A big thanks also to my awesome beta, Tare-chan, who probably made it so the delay wasn't longer. Enjoy!

Rejecting Freedom

Chapter 15

Such Difficult Decisions

I smiled and took a sip of coffee, my gaze following the boys who were playing tag in the middle of the room. Nami was slumped in a nearby chair, watching them with a sigh. She had been worried they would break something at first but her concerns had soon gone away when she discovered the captain was more likely to break something while sitting down. He did have such an energetic personality, after all and it was clear it didn't suite him well to simply sit around.

Chopper ran towards Nami and I, laughing as Luffy ran after him. Luffy's arm quickly stretched to tag the little doctor, making his face fall slightly before he caught gaze of me watching. A smile lit up his face and he ran over to me, tagging my leg lightly.

"Robin's it!" he yelled before darting away. I laughed lightly, considering I hadn't planned to be in the game. Even so, since I had been tagged it was clear I should play as well. I had no intention of running around, however, as I was quite comfortable where I was and I had a better view of the game from where I was at. My gaze scanned the area for targets, finding Chopper still running in the other direction and Luffy on the other side of the room. Mr. Cook was nearest to me, seemingly frowning at Chopper for interrupting my quiet time. Mr. Swordsman was near Luffy, watching the captain warily. I didn't blame him for his wariness, considering the several times he had been tagged by Luffy when he wasn't it at all.

I crossed my arms across my chest and quickly decided I who I was going to chose as a target. A hand rose from the floor near Sanji and gently tagged his leg. He looked down in surprise for a moment. The rest of the crew playing tag noticed quickly, Luffy shouting out at him. Only moments later, Luffy's arm stretched across the room and tagged him, almost knocking the poor cook over before the captain ran after Chopper, yelling that he was it.

"I'm afraid Captain-san doesn't quite understand the game," I commented to Nami. She watched Luffy crash into Zoro, Sanji hot on his heels for almost knocking him over, and let out another sigh.

"He can be such an idiot!" she replied before her face fell. "I still can't believe he used up all of our money like that. There were so many clothes I could have bought yesterday with it!" I found it quite interesting that she had changed what she would have spent the money on so quickly, from furniture to clothes. Even so, I felt bad for the poor navigator, knowing how much she worried over the money supply. Perhaps I should have told her before the boys spent all the money on the alcohol for the party. It was too late now, in any case.

My gaze followed Chopper as he soared through the air a little bit, Luffy's tag anything but gentle once again. I quickly caught the little doctor with some extra hands before he hit the wall, knowing Nami wouldn't be happy if he created a dent. Only moments later, a fight broke out between the cook and swordsman over one tagging the other. Luffy simply laughed and watched their fight. After a few moments, Nami stalked over and hit them both soundly before they destroyed a wall. I took another sip of coffee and took in the display silently.

A few minutes later, I finished my coffee and the game of tag, ended for the moment, Luffy and Chopper collapsing near each other, panting for air. Sanji walked back over toward me and glared at the swordsman across the room. Zoro didn't seem to notice the cook's look and sat by the wall, closing his eyes as if he meant to go to sleep. Nami went to stand by Luffy and Chopper, her eyes watching for any more conflicts. I wondered where their seemingly endless energy levels came from. Luffy's made sense with all the food he ate but the energy of the rest was a mystery to me. I was quite glad for it, however and the fact it made life with them anything but boring.

The cook's gaze went outside for a moment. I followed his gaze, taking in the delightful amount of sun outside and the truly lovely views from the window. He made an odd noise then, as if he had just remembered something important. My gaze turned towards him, watching him light up a cigarette, wondering what he seemed to have remembered as well as to how he had made such a noise.

"I think Usopp is planning to re-join the crew," Sanji said quietly. The rest of the crew's attention quickly came to rest on the cook, the reactions to his news varying. Luffy was the loudest in his response, as usual.

"Eh?" The captain exclaimed. "Usopp will come back?" My gaze left the cook's for a moment, taking in the reactions of the rest of the crew to his words without letting them know what I was doing. Nami, Chopper and Luffy were clearly excited at the news about the sniper. Zoro's face worried me, his face much colder than normal, enough that it made me wonder if it would be able to make children cry with.

I wasn't surprised at the cook's news. The shopping center had been filled with rumors yesterday, if you had cared to listen to them and I had heard plenty of news about the sniper. Or more specifically, I had heard plenty of news about a crazy long-nosed man who was seen talking to himself in several locations. There had been plenty of citizens quite worried about the situation. It hadn't taken long to figure out that he was preparing situations of how to re-enter the crew, even if he had already lived through several of these situations and done nothing. He had, after all, joined the crew at Enies Lobbies and at the party with success.

"Yeah," Sanji replied to Luffy. "He was rehearsing at the beach," Luffy took this to be good news and quickly rose to his feet. He didn't seem to notice that his first mate had risen as well but much more tensely. Chopper soon followed after the captain and Nami stood up fully, large smiles coming to their faces.

"Wow! Good to know," Luffy bubbled. It was clear he had already made his decision as to where Usopp stood as far as the crew and that was still with it. A quick side glance at Zoro told me he still disagreed, as he had when we had come across the subject the other night. "Let's go fetch him immediately!"

Chopper and Nami made their own statements of agreement with Luffy and the three of them headed off towards the door, intent on finding the sniper and bringing him back to the crew. Zoro stopped them in their tracks, his voice filling the room as he spoke, tone matching his face.

"Wait up guys!" he told them. I doubted that any of the trio would have stopped if not for his tone and the coldness within it. When they turned to look at him, they seemed confused. Luffy seemed to be the most confused and perhaps a little bit…irritated at the swordsman. "I won't let anyone go fetch him," Zoro told them, his voice a little quieter now but still quite cold and harsh.

"Ehhhhh? Why?" Luffy protested. Zoro quickly responded that he wouldn't accept Usopp back until he apologized for his actions. Luffy was silent although Nami and Chopper were not. Nami seemed quite upset about the matter, which was interesting to me and I wondered if some part of her didn't think the sniper had done anything wrong. I still was unsure as to what I felt about it. It was wrong of the sniper to leave the crew, of course, but I had done the exact same and for similar selfish reasons. Even so I kept quiet, waiting for the swordsman to explain his thinking more.

His explanation came quite quickly as he silenced Nami's protests and continued, telling the crew that the outcome of the match was that Usopp had lost and left the crew. We listened quietly, although I process the information slowly, the details something I was still unsure of since none of the crew had wanted to fill me in on it, for understandable reasons. The swordsman went on to say that Usopp had lost his respect for Luffy and that if that feeling spread it could ruin the crew.

His next words shocked me slightly, considering I didn't think he would be one to ever threaten leaving the crew. He and Luffy seemed like such good friends, after all and if this was potentially something leaving the crew over, he was serious, it would seem. I couldn't help but wonder how much the swordsman meant those words. I quickly realized he wasn't one to threaten something without following through on his words, since it would put his honor at stake. When it came to such things, the man was very similar to an unmovable boulder.

The crew relaxed slightly, some of the tension leaving the air, when the swordsman admitted he thought it would be good for Usopp to return, but only if he faced what he had done and apologized for it. Any of my protests left quickly, considering how many crews I had been on that would have been easy to break apart because of hidden issues. If we were to face the oceans ahead of us with such issues, it would be just as easy for this crew to fall apart, I realized. I considered the swordsman for a moment, wondering just how much he had thought this issue through. It would seem as though he was having one of his quite clever moments, although I was unsure if he realized it or if he was simply falling back on his views of honor and loyalty.

Nami was the only one to raise a protest, saying that we could solve the issues after Usopp had returned. Sanji seemed to have realized the same thing as I had and told her he agreed with Zoro on this issue. She soon fell silent although she didn't seem to enjoy the result. I kept silent as the swordsman continued and the crew decided with their silence to follow his advice to wait for Usopp in silence and not to accept him back unless he apologized first.

When the swordsman was done, the rest of the crew was silent. I thought about things, suddenly wondering if this would cause more issues between the crew if Usopp didn't realize what he had to do. Going by Nami's expression she still wasn't satisfied with the result and was simply agreeing with the rest of us because she had been forced to. Chopper seemed quite upset by the result as well, his lack of emotional control causing problems for him now. My gaze locked on the swordsman, taking in his expression slowly.

He seemed quite determined now and harsh but for some reason, my mind said he wasn't so determined in his mind. I watched for a few more moments before I realized why my mind seemed to think that. His eyes weren't as cold as when I had first joined the crew, weren't as focused with annoyance or anger. He might have been serious about the issue but I was certain there was a part of him that had qualms about what he was doing.

The air in the building was serious now and quite depressive. I stood up and left, wanting to get away from such harsh feelings so I could simply think some about this situation. I agreed that it was for the best that we wait for the sniper in silence and only accept him back if he apologized but my mind was spinning slightly. I had finally sorted my own feelings about joining this crew out and now I felt as though I needed to sort of the rest of the crew out, as well as what my place in the crew was now. It felt quite complicated to me but I had never been around people who I planned to be around for a long time since the fall of Ohara.

It was quite a relief when the fresh air of the outside world hit my face, along with the sunlight that warmed my skin. I went to the back of the building and pulled out a chair, sitting down slowly. For a moment, I wondered what had brought these types of thoughts to my mind before I realized it had to be the swordsman's consideration for the future of the crew if this problem wasn't resolved now. I had never had to think of such issues before, never had to worry about the causes of issues in the future unless it meant me running away again. Even in Alabasta, I had thought only of myself and my goals of finding the Poneglyph, not really caring about what would happen to the people of the country when Crocodile tried to take it over, only thinking they would be fine if I helped in simple ways and didn't allow Crocodile to get Pluton in the end.

In truth, I had no clue how to act with people who I trusted and who trusted me or how to protect others with my thoughts. I was quite selfish, for good reason and it would be difficult to undo such instincts. Nor did I know how to be very open with others and to allow them to see anything beyond my smile that hid all my thoughts. Some of my barriers had been lifted by the crew already but there were so many of them that were still in place. If they were to disappear, I would be unsure of what to do.

I knew I never wanted to be separated from the crew, never wanted to leave this place where I felt so secure. I knew it was easiest to be around certain crew members as well, that it was easiest to say the things I wanted to around Nami, Luffy and oddly, in my mind, Zoro. Luffy was possibly the easiest to talk to of the crew since anything seemed to be fine to say to him, no matter what words came from my lips. I had to watch my morbidity around the navigator and some of my opinions from the swordsman. I had found Franky easy to talk to as well, as limited as the conversations I had with him.

I was certain that I wanted Franky to join the crew and that matched Luffy's decision, which made me sure the cyborg would be joining the crew soon. There were a few things I wished to discuss with Franky, since I had a feeling he would simply listen to some of it with a little more understanding than some of the crew now. Even so, I also had a feeling I would only be able to stand him in small doses, since some of his attitudes were slightly extreme for me, just like some of Luffy's attitudes.

The sound of footsteps jerked me out of my thoughts and I turned to see the cook walking towards me, seeming slightly worried. He held a glass with some type of fruity drink in his hand, ever present cigarette in his mouth. I smiled lightly at him, not wanting for him to be worried and took the drink when he presented it.

"Thank you, Mr. Cook," I murmured before taking a small sip of the drink, which was as delicious as always. To my surprise, he took the chair nearest to me and simply sat there, not responding in the least. He smoked for a few moments while I watched in silence, my thoughts not coming as clearly now that I was semi-distracted. A few thought lines came to me but they all went nowhere in the least. Finally, Sanji spoke, his tone protective.

"That idiot marimo's words didn't offend you did they, Robin-chan?" he inquired. I blinked in slight surprise before a light smile came to my lips.

"No," I murmured back. "They simply brought on some complicated thoughts," He nodded and was silent for a few more moments, as if he was waiting for me to expand on my words. When I didn't he finally asked.

"They weren't anything too serious?" he inquired, concern clear in his tone. I shook my head, thinking for a moment about sharing them with him before deciding not to. I re-thought that in an instant, wondering if that was part of the issue with my barriers which still kept me slightly away from the crew. I decided to share my thoughts after all, although a part of me was quite against the notion.

"I was simply wondering where I fit in with the crew," I told him. "I'm unsure as to act as part of it," He looked off into the distance, puffing a few times before responding.

"You've been acting like part of the crew for a while now," he commented. "You don't need to act any different now. If we kicked people out of the crew for their personalities, I would have booted that shitty swordsman out long ago for not respecting the ladies," I listened silently, his attempts at humor not affecting me much.

"I've been hiding behind so many masks that I'm unsure how to take them off," I murmured. He was silent, as if he had been expecting something different.

"Then let us help you," he replied. For some reason, that made me smile lightly and feel better, even if it were so simple. Perhaps I was over thinking things. I already felt as though I was safe with this crew and I had made more attempts then I had done before to try and protect them. If it had been any other crew, I would have never helped keep them safe, nor would I feel safe enough to even let out some of my personality out. I supposed I would need to put some trust in myself now, that I would learn how to act properly around them, how to low my barriers eventually.

My gaze went to the cook and found him watching me with the slightest bit of worry. I took a sip of my drink and stood, the smile on my face becoming more relaxed and natural. I had to trust in myself that I would know when things were right or not and that I would know when the best times to offer my strength to this crew were.

"Thank you, Sanji-san," I told him. He grinned and stood as well before his less serious attitude came out quickly and he began to noodle dance.

"Feel free to thank me with a kiss," he cried out. My smile grew before I walked back inside, the cook following me swiftly, my worries once again put to rest, for now.

* * *

I listened in on Kokoro-san and Nami's conversation silently, only finding a slight interest in their topic of some of the stores on the island. Most of my attention was focused on the activity the boys were engaged in that morning as it was quite interesting. It seemed as though they were acting out something similar to a bullfight. Chopper seemed to be playing the part of the bull in four-legged form, rushing at Luffy every now and then. Once Luffy darted out of the way of Chopper's path, Zoro would meet his antlers with his feet and they would begin a contest of strength. Of course, they were being quite noisy about it, as well, Luffy letting out a shout every time he dodged Chopper, which was truly similar to an actual bullfight while Chopper was caught between laughter and growling of some sort.

A large difference between the boys play and an actual bullfight of course was because there was much more bloodshed in an actual bullfight. Thankfully, I didn't believe that Chopper's antlers would be able to do as much damage as an actual enraged bull nor did I think that he would be slaughtered at the end, as the bull was at the end of a fight. The slaughter did have very important cultural values, however, which were as interesting as the fight itself, in my mind. I thought it would be quite thrilling to see an actual bullfight, to watch every gory detail as it played out.

"The log is ready!" Nami suddenly exclaimed, snapping me out of my thoughts. My gaze went towards her slowly, the boys just finishing another charge of the 'bull' when she announced it. Nami continued, excitement in her tone. "The log pose is already pointing to the next island!"

Her excitement quickly spread through the room, pulling the boys into the conversation. I found myself excited as well, even if we were without a ship so far. I wondered what adventures the next island would have in store for us, along with if there would be any interesting history upon it. The best case scenario would be for there to be a poneglyph but I doubted that I would have such luck.

"Do you know where the log's leading you to?" Kokoro inquired. I quickly silenced my thought to pay attention to the conversation, interested in our next destination.

"No, where?" Nami replied before frowning at the log pose's needle. "It's pointing a little downwards…" I thought about that for a moment. If it was pointing down, then we would need to go down, just as we had needed to go to Sky Island. And as far as I knew, there was only one island which was under the sea, Fishman Island. Kokoro confirmed my suspicions a moment later.

My knowledge about Fishman Island was quite small, unfortunately and I felt odd not being able to draw upon such information. I was unsure even as to how we would get to the island since it was underwater. How were you supposed to get a ship underwater and sail it to an island? Furthermore, how would those of us on the crew with devil's fruit abilities survive under the water, considering the fact that sea water wasn't good for us. Would we need to deal with the weakness throughout the trip and stay within the cabin the entire time? The possibility was fine with me but I doubted Luffy would be able to stay cooped up long enough to get to the island without destroying the inside of the ship first.

The rest of the crew grew quite noisy as they reacted to the news. Sanji, of course, was rather excited at the prospect of seeing mermaids while Nami was unsure of how to handle the news. I was surprised to find that Luffy understood why she was so concerned, considering the Fishmen who had taken over her home. None of the other members of the crew seemed to be worried about the fact that the island was underwater. Kokoro added in that it was hard to get to the island and I thought my question out loud.

"I'm curious about the beneath the sea part," I commented. I was surprised to find she wasn't very concerned about it, as if it was something unimportant. I wondered for a moment about what she might have been referring to before she mentioned something about the paper to Nami and the issue came to my mind.

I had read about the devil sea, or the Florian Triangle before in several books and that it was on the way to the Red Line, where Fishman Island was underneath. The area of the sea was quite mysterious, with ships disappearing every year within it, ever since the beginning of the Grand Line. The number of crews which had disappeared into the fog covering the ocean was quite large over the time and it was considered one of the major challenges in the Grand Line, in some author's perspectives. Many ships were found floating out of the fog with no crew members as well, or with the only crew members remaining in the form of skeletons. I could remember some stories about these ships, some of them involving supposed cursed treasure, guarded by these skeletons.

I tuned in on the crew's conversation, noticing that Kokoro seemed to be trying her best to frighten the crew. Nami and Chopper seemed to be the only ones creped out by her tale. I wasn't afraid of such ghosts, knowing that it was possible on the Grand Line. I thought meeting a ghost would be quite thrilling, especially on how long ago it had been since they lived. The amounts of history that could be learned from them would be fascinating and the contents of a ghost ship along would be remarkable, I was sure.

Considering Nami was usually the one to make decisions on where we went, I decided to get her interested and not afraid of the ghost ships. In addition, I felt bad for her, considering how frightened she was over Kokoro's tale. I was unsure how to make Chopper feel any less afraid.

"Merchant and pirate ships coming back as ghost ships, the legends of the treasure ship always revolve around them," I commented. Nami's attitude so quickly made turn that I had to smile, along with the reactions of the rest of the crew. I was quite excited to pass through the Florian Triangle, myself and I was glad the rest of the crew was too. In addition, it would be fun to have an adventure without being worried about the World Government coming after me personally. It would give me time to simply relax and enjoy everything and that would be quite pleasant, especially if I was about to find some older bodies out on the ocean.

* * *

I gathered together all my possessions silently with a smile on my face. I found the reactions of the crew about their bounties quite amusing; especially those of the crew who had just receive one. Nami was grumbling to herself as she packed eyes on her poster. She seemed caught between annoyance at being tricked about the picture and terror at the fact that she had a bounty at all. I thought it was quite exciting that the entire crew now had a bounty, considering how small it was. I hadn't ever met a crew with such circumstances and I was proud that I was part of such a crew.

As for my bounty, I was content with it. It was comforting to know that my bounty wasn't close to the highest one in the crew, with both Luffy and Zoro's being higher. I had been surprised, however, to find that mine was still higher than Sanji's. If you went by strength, that was surely incorrect. The demon trio members were the strongest in the crew by far. I was certain that as time went on that the matter would correct itself, however.

I finished packing my belongings into my backpack and lifted it onto my shoulders. It seemed oddly light but Franky had already sent the Franky family to gather the rest of our belongings, to insure that we would have room for them on the ship. I had kept all my new books with me and some clothes but the rest of my belongings were already on the new ship.

The rest of the crew was reacting around the room to their bounties in separate ways. The poor cook seemed to be having the worst reaction of the crew, falling into depression because of his picture. Zoro wasn't helping the situation, telling him it looked just like him. And although I agreed that the picture was quite similar looking to the cook in some aspects, I wasn't about to tell him so verbally.

Very soon, the rest of the crew seemed ready to go, although Sanji was still depressed about his bounty. Chopper was telling Luffy he wasn't satisfied, as well, to which Luffy told him to work hard. I walked out the door towards the end of the crew, noting that cook didn't seem to be moving. I wondered if he would follow or if it was simply going to sit there in depression until a well place comment from the swordsman got him moving again.

The walk to the new ship was quite noisy but also entertaining. The rest of the crew was clearly ready, as I was, to continue our journey and because of such, they were very energetic. I followed near the back of the group, simply watching them. Nami walked in the back with me, watching the boys with a smile on her face. Once we reached the shipyard, the rest of the crew rushed forward. I still kept to the back, my eyes focusing on a large object covered with a sheet near the ocean, which was clearly the ship.

Iceburg met us at the ship, saying Franky wasn't around. The fact he wasn't bothered me because it was clear he wouldn't be here to join the crew. Surely he wasn't planning on letting us leave without saying goodbye or letting us thank him for the ship. Iceburg praised the ship and its plans, before revealing the ship, due to Luffy's impatience. I was amazed at the ship from my first sight, from the ships size to its complexity. There was a sunflower of sorts at the helm of the ship and I was delighted to see a happy expression on it, which reminded me in a sort of the expression the Going Merry always had.

"It's a fabulous ship," I commented while the rest of the crew let out their own exclamations of joy at seeing the ship. As the rest of the crew went forward to the ship, I couldn't help but comment, "I wonder what type of flower he used for the figurehead,"

Iceburg replied to my comment first. "I think it's a lion, not a flower," he told me. I frowned for a moment before seeing the lion instead of a flower. I supposed I should have seen the muzzle of the lion first, although it still did look quite flower-like. In any case, I liked it, whether it was a flower or a lion. I quickly made my way on deck with the others and noticed in a moment all the greenery on the ship, something that was quite unique.

"It looks like we can do some gardening here," I commented, hoping that it was true. It would be quite relaxing to take care of plants, as the swordsman had suggested and I was happy that Franky had included such a thing. Iceburg followed me on deck and began talking with Nami. I walked along the deck with a light smile, noting all the care Franky had put into the ship. This was a ship that we would be able to sail where ever with, I was sure, especially when the shipwright joined us to take care of it.

I stopped at the sight a pond of sorts in the deck before realizing that we could keep fish we caught within it. It was a truly great idea. My gaze swept across the rest of the deck, taking it the rest of it before a conversation between Luffy and Iceburg about the whereabouts of Franky was, caught my attention. I considered Iceburg's opinion, my mind catching on the fact that we would need to probably force him to come.

I couldn't help but wonder if such a thing was truly necessary but I wasn't about to balk at such a thought. If force was necessary, I would happily provide it. In a way, it would be revenge for his actions with me at Enies Lobbies. He had forced me to face Luffy and the crew, even though I didn't want to and in quite a painful way. A small smile came to my lips. I truly appreciated his actions there, even though I hadn't at the time and I would do the same for him if necessary here.

Very soon, the crew began to hear quite a ruckus in the city with the sounds of explosions. Iceburg smiled for a moment.

"Here's your chance to get Franky here, Straw Hat," he commented. "I think the Franky family is going to try and bring him but they might need some help," Luffy grinned before gathering Chopper, Sanji and Zoro and leaving the ship to go get the cyborg. I smiled and leaned on the railing, waiting for them to accomplish their plans.

The sounds of explosions continued in the city before I saw something flying towards us. I blinked in surprise when I recognized Franky, who was not wearing his usual Speedo, or anything at all other than his shirt. I could only wonder what the boys had done for something like that to happen. Moments later, Luffy came flying onto the deck with Chopper.

"Franky," the captain called out to the shipwright. "Thank you so much for the ship. It's the greatest. We'll take good care of it,"

"Yeah," Franky replied. "I wish you all a safe journey with the ship," His tone was detached, making it clear he wanted to come with us but something was keeping him from it. Luffy grinned and waved something in his hand, which was clearly his Speedo. I smiled lightly, getting the captain's plan. I wondered who had come up with the plan since it was quite clever.

"If you want this back," Luffy shouted, still waving the Speedo, "Then be our nakama," Franky's easy going grin faded slightly to be replaced with an unsure face. The conversation went down from there, as expected, with Franky refusing to come and saying that taking his pants wasn't going to be enough. To prove his point, he struck his normal pose, not caring that he was naked. I smiled, an idea of how to get him on the ship popping into my head. If he was going to flaunt his nakedness, I was going to show him why it was a bad idea. I decided to ask Luffy for permission first, not knowing if he wanted to resort to force just yet.

"If I'm allowed to be a little violent," I told him. "I can help you out," Luffy seemed confused by my words, as were the crew members on the ship but nodded to say yes. I crossed my wrists over one another and closed my eyes.

"Dos Fleur," I recited. Once the hands appeared, I opened my eyes and clenched my fists together. "Grab," Franky began screaming in a moment out of the pain. I ignored it, a smile coming to my face. Perhaps my methods were quite harsh but his had been just as harsh in Enies Lobbies.

It had been quite cruel to use my weakness against me in such a way and since I didn't know him well enough to know an emotional weakness against him, a physical weakness which he couldn't help but flaunt worked just as well. The rest of the crew freaked out due to my actions, Luffy telling me that he still wanted him to be a man when he joined the crew. He shouldn't have worried, since I was not planning on ripping them off, just making him feel enough pain that he would come on the ship and perhaps learn a lesson about posing when naked. I decided to talk to him as well, explaining my point of view.

"If you ask a group of pirates to back off in front of a treasure, then you'd better have some good explanation, otherwise there's no way they'll back off," I called to Franky. The words were true after all and they fit in this situation. Franky was a treasure, especially when it came to building items and keeping this ship in good condition, considering the destruction rate of things in this crew. He was also an excellent person and obviously quite caring. As such, there was no way I was going to back off simply because he was trying to keep himself from coming with us.

I listened to explanation quietly, accepting that he had attachments here but not finding a good enough reason with it. His family wanted him to come with us and that should have been enough. As for the ship, he was needed on it and if he had quit being a shipwright, it didn't matter because he obviously still had the skills to create wonderful things. I was glad when Iceburg joined in to correct him that it wasn't a dream ship yet and I slowly sensed that Franky's will against coming was failing. I released my grip slightly, knowing that it wouldn't be needed for much longer. Iceburg continued to talk and I released him altogether, knowing they were no longer needed to force him into coming onto the ship.

Soon his screaming became louder as the Franky family talked to him as well. He fell after a while, sounding as though someone was murdering him. My arms were still crossed, making Chopper think I was still doing it. When he began to blame me for the pain, I let my arms fall and I turned away, knowing that he would be coming now. Luffy seemed confused for a moment.

"Huh? Aren't you doing anything?" he inquired. I laughed lightly.

"I was only doing it in the beginning," I told him. "He's sneaky, blaming the pain for his tears," I walked to the center of the ship and sat down to wait for our departure, which I was certain would be coming quite soon. Although I was still concerned over the issue with Usopp, I believed that it would be settled soon as well and that when we departed, the sniper would be among us. The smile stayed on my face as I watched the crowd on shore, waiting for the boys, including the cook, swordsman and sniper to return to us.

_A/N:_ I hope everyone liked the chapter. The next chapter will be up in two weeks, this time for certain.


	16. A New Life

_A/N:_ Hi! Next chapter as promised. Thank you to everyone who reviewed, I really appreciate it. A big thanks, as always, to my awesome beta Tare-chan! Hope everyone enjoys!

Rejecting Freedom

Chapter 16

A New Life

I smiled as we sailed through the air on the Thousand Sunny, feeling as light as a feather, as if any worries I had were gone now. We had safely escaped Luffy's grandfather and Usopp was now back on the ship, where he belonged. I was quite glad that he had finally understood what the crew had wanted from him and apologized, especially considering the faces of the crew when they had thought he wouldn't understand. The crew wouldn't be the same without his outlandish tales or his excellent sniping skills.

The feeling of falling was much smoother than I thought it would be and I was surprised that no water even came over the edge as we hit the ocean. But then again, the Thousand Sunny was a much larger vessel than the Going Merry. Franky had obviously built this ship with a lot of care and thought. My gaze went towards him with a smile. He was currently helping Nami with how to sail the ship, so we could begin sailing towards Fishman Island with no delay.

I wandered over to the top deck, running my fingers of the railing and coming to rest near the figurehead. My smile rose as I touched it, recognizing the feel of freshly sanded wood. I compared it to the feel of the Going Merry when I had first came upon that ship, remembering the nicks in the wood from the hard use the ship had been through. In a way, it helped symbolize my life with this crew. When I had first joined the crew, I had been like the Going Merry, nicked and damaged beyond repair because of a hard life. The Thousand Sunny seemed to symbolize my new life, fresh and clean but with the promise of new wear and tear, although I didn't dread this wear and tear like I had before.

I leaned on the railing near the figurehead, placing my hand on my cheek. "It's exciting to start fresh, isn't, Sunny-chan?" I inquired, although I knew I wouldn't get an answer. I sat there for a few more moments, watching the crew rush around the deck to get the ship sailing smoothly. Nami came on to the upper deck a few times to check the wheel and I noted that there was a quite large log pose near the wheel, which I believed would be quite useful in the future. Franky had certainly thought of everything.

After the ship was sailing towards our next destination, Franky called everyone together in order to give us a tour of the ship. I rose from the railing and walked down the lower deck with everyone else. Luffy was bouncing up and down in excitement while Sanji sniped at Zoro to pay attention so he wouldn't get lost. I saw the beginnings of a fight before it started, although Nami ended it quite quickly.

The first place Franky lead us was the kitchen, which Sanji had clearly already seen. I noticed that Luffy pouted when he saw the locks on the refrigerator, making it clear that he had forgotten to ask Franky for no locks on it. Sanji, on the other hand, seemed delighted that he would be able to keep the captain out of the food. I noted the extra eating room with a smile, know that it would come in useful with the activity at this crew's meals.

Franky then lead us to the aquarium room, which I liked from my first sight. The cushioned seats running along the room seemed quite comfortable and I knew that I would be spending some time reading in the room or even simply relaxing and watching the future fish swim around. The rest of the crew had similar reactions while Franky explained that the pool on deck led to the aquarium and that once we caught fish, we could keep them there until they were ready to be eaten.

The boy's and girl's bedrooms were next in the tour and I was glad to see large wardrobes in our room along with two comfortable looking beds. Nami's clothes had begun to take over the old wardrobe and my growing collection didn't help the matter. It appeared as though both of us could get many more clothes, however, which was a nice sign. The boy's room was much less squished than their last one although they still had hammocks to sleep in instead of actual beds. I was almost surprised that none of them complained. Perhaps they were simply happy they wouldn't be practically sleeping upon one another now.

Chopper became rather excited when he saw that he had his own room, complete with a bed for patients. He rushed through the room with stars in his eyes, touching his new chair with a grin to see if it would actually turn, as Franky had told him. My gaze caught on the cabinets for him to keep his medicines in, knowing that it would be much easier to find items now. It would make things simpler for when I helped him, as I often did when he had to treat many others.

Nami's greatest excitement came from seeing the baths, both those that came next to each bedroom and the rather large tub on the second floor. I was interested to see that the large tub had jets in it as well, making it so you could have a massage of sorts within it as you bathed. I was sure that it would be quite relaxing to spend time in it. Her second greatest excitement was having her own mapping room, complete with a lock on the door to keep Luffy out of it.

Usopp was given his own workshop as well and he was quite excited to see it, telling Franky he was the best for including it. I smiled at his reaction, considering the numerous times that Luffy had almost destroyed his inventions on the Going Merry because they weren't put away. It would probably also give the sniper some peace and quiet to make his inventions without Luffy bothering him, as his door also had a lock on it.

Zoro was also given his own weight room and several new weights, which may have broken the poor deck of the Going Merry with their weight. The swordsman grinned at the room, although Nami scolded him that she better not find his weights everywhere now. He didn't seem to notice her lectures as he went to pick one of the new weights to test it. Franky explained that there were more add on weights as well, pointing out a rack of them before the tour continued.

My favorite room was the library, which Franky showed us last. Chopper shared my enthusiasm, although I had seen book shelves in his personal room as well. I was quickly distracted however, walking over to the book collections with a smile, noticing that a few of the shelves had protective glass coverings and locks on them for more delicate books. There were a few big, comfy chairs in the center of the room as well, along with a table which had a game board upon it for chess and other similar games. I couldn't wait to use the room and I noted as we left that the door could be locked as well.

Once the tour was done, the crew gathered on deck again and a few of the boys brought up a few barrels of cola. Luffy was grinning before he shoved a mug at everyone. I took mine with a smile, knowing what he was thinking. Everyone's mug was quickly filled and Luffy then began speaking.

"Now then," Luffy started. "To Robin and Usopp who came back and to our new Nakama, Franky and the pirate ship Thousand Sunny, cheers!" Everyone made their way around in touching mugs, although the result was quite messy, with several of the crew members spilling and Luffy knocking Usopp over. "Let's go! Next stop, Fishman Island," Luffy yelled. I smiled and began drinking my cola with a wide smile.

* * *

My fingers moved across my collection of books, carefully reading the titles to make sure I wasn't missing any important ones. A stack of my most unique bocks sat beside me, books that I was planning on putting in the glass cabinets. A few of them had cost me quite a bit when I had bought them, including two books that may have been the last of their kind. Nami would have been shocked at the amounts I had paid for them, one of them costing more than her bounty was.

A light knock on the door made me turn around to see the navigator come in the room, a grin on her face. "Are you doing anything important?" she inquired. I placed another book upon my stack before replying.

"I was simply organizing my books," I replied before turning back to the shelf. She walked over to the stack and looked at, probably noticing how beaten up some of the spines were and how old they looked. She grimaced at one which looked like it might have blood on it. I reached the end of my book collection and took them from her view, using hands to pass the books up, one by one, to the highest glass shelf. I passed them up in alphabetical order, so they would be organized. Once they were all neatly shelved up there, I used hands to gently shut the cabinet and lock it tightly against the threat of Luffy, although I doubted he would ever come in this room.

"Oh," Nami said, her grin fading slightly. "Are you almost done?" I looked at my book collection which I hadn't gotten to organizing with a light sigh, knowing that it could probably wait since the navigator clearly had plans for the day already. I turned to her with a light smile, however, not wishing to make her feel bad about making me leave my books.

"It would be no trouble to finish it later," I replied. Her grin resurfaced.

"How does a spa day sound then?" she inquired. "I want to break in the tub upstairs before those idiots get us into some type of trouble," The thought sounded quite good in my mind, even if I was relaxed as it was.

"Sounds nice," I commented. She nodded and began to walk out. I followed her after a moment, making sure to lock up the library behind me. The rest of the crew, minus Luffy had a key so they would be able to get in.

As soon as we walked outside, Sanji appeared with drinks and snacks in his hand, noodling around with hearts in his eyes. He become semi-serious in a moment, almost kneeling to offer us them on a tray.

"May I present the first snack of love from the new kitchen?" he said. Nami rolled her eyes slightly and took the drink and snack. I smiled as I took mine.

"Thank you, Mr. Cook," I told him. He returned to noodling around us until Luffy distracted him by shouting for food and he returned to the kitchen. I took my snack and drink over to the nearest table and sat down to eat. Nami followed swiftly as temporary silence spread over the deck with the more noisy of the crew going inside. Zoro was the only one who remained on deck, fast asleep in the grassy area and looking quite peaceful.

Nami took a few bites of her food before speaking. "So what should we do for our spa day, other than relaxing in the tub? Do you think Sanji would have stuff for face masks? Or maybe we could use some type of fruit mixture instead?" I laughed lightly.

"I suppose we'll just have to ask Mr. Cook first," I replied before eating my snack. She continued to plan while I simply listened, inputting my opinion when she asked for it. After a while, she had the whole day planned out and I was perfectly satisfied with following such a plan.

* * *

"There's a flower garden?" I inquired of Franky, surprised that he hadn't mentioned such a thing before. He grinned and nodded before getting up from his seat and pointing to Nami's orange trees.

"Yeah, it's up there, behind the trees. I made the area extra super!" he told me. I smiled and walked up the area, passing the orange trees. My eyes locked on the patches of dirt soon after, a few flowers already growing in the soil. I smiled and walked over to them, squatting down to look at them. I tested the dirt a few moments later, noticing that it was slightly dry. My gaze searched for a watering can but found none.

I walked down to the lower deck after a few moments to ask Franky. He pointed me to the inside of the ship, to a closet which he said contained the gardening supplies. I found it quickly as well as the watering can. After closer inspection, I also found a few containers of seeds and some fertilizer. A smile came to my lips as I examined the seeds, noting the different variety of plants which came from them. I took a package of mint seeds with me, wanting to grow them myself.

When I came back outside, my watering can now full of water, Nami was ordering the boys around, telling them to help Sanji organize the supply area. Apparently Franky had simply put everything in the area with no particular order and it was difficult to find anything in the space. I smiled as Luffy, Chopper and Usopp slumped by me while Nami searched for the swordsman of the ship. After spotting me, she walked over.

"Hey, Robin, have you seen Zoro anywhere?" she inquired. I shook my head, eyes following Luffy and noting that he seemed excited to help all of a sudden. Perhaps he had just realized that he would be moving around food, which, as long as Sanji wasn't looking his way, was free to eat.

"I'm afraid not. I would guess he is asleep somewhere by now," I replied, knowing that he often took his nap around this time. Nami sighed.

"I wouldn't be surprised if he has gotten lost on the ship," she told me. I smiled at the comment, knowing it had some truth within it. Luffy was now grinning his food grin and I thought I'd better warn Nami about it.

"I'd keep an eye on Luffy," I murmured. "I believe he might try and organize the food within his stomach," Nami's eyes narrowed before she glanced over at the captain.

"He'd better not try it," she grumbled. "I guess I should go make sure they organize it correctly. If you see Zoro, can you send him down to help?"

"Of course," I told her. "I'll keep an eye on the weather, too," She gave me a grateful smile before going after the boys, who quickly grew wary, knowing that they shouldn't try anything with her watching them. I waited until they were gone to return to the upper deck.

I found the swordsman of the crew hiding out near the trees, seemingly asleep, almost blending in the foliage. The moment my foot hit the deck, however, one eye opened cautiously. He seemed to relax upon realizing it was me and not the navigator. I smiled lightly.

"Nami was looking for you, Mr. Swordsman. She wanted you to help organize the supplies," I informed him before setting the watering can on the deck. He grunted in response, making it clear he had no intention of doing such a thing. My smile grew as I walked over to a clear patch of dirt and kneeled down, the mint seeds in one hand. I read the back of the package for a moment and checked the sunlight of the area before beginning to dig a small hole to plant the seeds in.

Once a good portion of the seeds were planted in the semi-shade of the orange trees, I moved on to the other flowers, noting that a few of them needed some trimming. I preformed this task with little difficulty, taking some of the older flowers off as well, knowing that they would soon shrivel up and die. A small glance at the swordsman from the corner of my eye found him watching me work out of one eye.

When the plants were trimmed up correctly, I set all the garden tools down and watered all the plants. The watering can ran out of water swiftly and I made several trips down to the water source on the ship in order to fill it. Once all the flowers were watered, I couldn't help but feel accomplished at my task. I placed all the gardening tools together, a smile on my lips. A part of me, however, had wished it had lasted a little longer. Perhaps I would have to ask Franky to build another planter for me later on.

I thought a moment about what to do now, considering organizing my books before I discarded the idea. The task could wait and, judging by the position of the sun in the sky, it would be time for dinner soon and I didn't want to be interrupted in the task once again. I also considered grabbing a book from the library but decided that it would be nice to be able to simply sit and relax for a while.

My gaze went towards the swordsman, still seemingly asleep. I walked over and sat next to him with a light sigh. He didn't move in the least, not even to see what was happening. My gaze quickly left him and went towards the leaves of the orange trees waving in the winds. This ship was rather peaceful, for now, and I found myself enjoying the silence. It was a rare sound, especially during the day and it was nice to be able to see the world around you and to simply listen to it for a little while.

* * *

I only had a slight warning to move out of the way of the captain's foot as he rocketed himself onto the upper deck, excitement on his face. Zoro wasn't so lucky, since he was still half-asleep and the captain was able to almost knock him over with the force of the strike.

"Get up, Sanji won't give me food until you get down there!" Luffy exclaimed, once he had cleared his head from hitting the door of the large bath, thankfully not injuring the door in any way. I rose to my feet with a light smile upon realizing it had to be time for dinner and began to walk down to the grassy deck so I could enter the kitchen area. The sounds of Zoro yelling at Luffy came a few moments later and soon the two of them jumped down to the lower deck without using the stairs, in a way that I thought would have broken the legs of any other human. Luffy rushed ahead of Zoro and me then, yelling at Sanji to get his food ready.

Upon entering the kitchen, I sat at one of the only open seats, next to Luffy. It was a rather dangerous seat for anyone who was caught unprepared, since the captain was most likely to steal your food if he was next to you. I thought I'd be safe, considering Luffy rarely tried to steal my food since he had never succeeded in the task. Zoro grumbled as he sat on my other side, a clear red mark on his face from Luffy's foot.

Soon after, Sanji waltzed over with Nami's and I's food, which he set in front of me with a few flowery compliments. A moment later, the cook was almost distracted by the swordsman, who had let out a loud scoff. Luffy solved the issue, however, by abruptly trying to sneak some of my food away. An extra hand grabbed him in a moment and he pouted before shouting for food at Sanji and the cook was forced away from a fight with the swordsman.

I began to eat slowly as Sanji delivered the food for the rest of the crew, who quickly began eating, fearing an attack from Luffy. The captain himself was eating at an incredible speed, his quite large plate of meat disappearing before I had even finished half of my plate. When he was done, he began to eye the rest of the crew's plates, looking for any possibly weaknesses to strike at. Franky, who seemed unaware that he had to protect his food from the captain, learned not to show any the hard way as he began to discuss something with Nami.

I watched silently as the shipwright turned his head, Luffy zeroing in on his plate. Nami replied to Franky without moving her gaze and when Franky turned back to continue eating, his plate was empty. Luffy was very happily munching on his food. I smiled at Franky's expression when he looked down at his plate, as he lifted up his sunglasses, then turned his gaze on the rest of the table, trying to figure out what had just occurred.

"I'm afraid you'll need to protect your food better than that from the captain in the future, Franky," I said lightly. He turned his gaze towards me, then to the captain, who was already scoping out both mine and Zoro's plates. He frowned at the captain for a few moments before sighing loudly.

"That's not so super," the shipwright groaned, eying the rest of the crew's food. Sanji solved the problem by fetching some of the extra food and giving it to him with a grin and a warning to keep an eye out next time. In the next moment, Luffy tried to snatch my remaining food, or perhaps he was trying to reach over my plate to get to Zoro's. I grabbed his hand as before and slapped it hard enough to make him withdraw with a grin.

I glanced over at Franky and saw him watching with a frown. "I'd watch it if I were you, Luffy-bro. I don't think you want her mad at you," he chided to the captain. Luffy stopped watching everyone's plates to look up at him in simple confusion.

"Why do you say that?" He asked Franky. I could see what Franky was thinking in a moment, since he had to be referring to the incident from earlier. A light smile came to my face, while the shipwright stared at the captain in surprise.

"If I had been mad at you, I would have done something much worse," I told him simply and truthfully, remembering the fool who had no regard for history in Skypiea. I had been truly mad at him and he wouldn't be telling any tales about the fight now. Franky became slightly pale at my words and Luffy joined him after a few moments, his thoughts about food gone for the moment. I continued eating without any issues. A glance over at Nami found her equally disturbed by my comment.

"I'm sure Robin-chan is beautiful when she's mad," Sanji bubbled, obviously not watching the reactions of the crew very much. Everyone except the swordsman and sniper shot him a look of unease. I finished my meal with a light smile and tilted my head to place it on my hand, gaze on Franky.

"There's no need to worry, I doubt I'll have any reason to do such a thing again," I murmured, hoping to make him feel better. "Although I do suggest wearing clothes in the future," I was aware of the rest of the crew watching me, the three who had been gone wearing looks of confusion. Nami made a face afterwards.

"If he runs around without clothes on the ship, he won't have to worry about what will happen if you get to him," she warned, her face cold. Franky looked very uncomfortable for a moment before nodding, clearly getting the message although he seemed to be unclear why we were ganging up on him. Zoro let out a yawn.

"I don't get why you're so worried about it. Robin can't be that scary. What would she do, throw one of her books as you?" he inquired. I frowned at the comment. I wouldn't injure one of my books in such a way since it could easily break the spine. Luffy leaned past me to whisper in the swordsman's ear. Zoro's grin never slipped. "She could try," he replied to the captain. Sanji and Usopp frowned, still not understanding.

"Mr. Cook, could I get a cup of coffee?" I inquired, deciding it sounded good. He rushed off to begin making it while I began to clear everyone's places, stacking the plates and such on the table so it would be easy for Sanji to collect. He returned a few moments later with my coffee and I took a sip. The rest of the crew left the room slowly, Usopp, Luffy and Chopper leaving together. I noticed lightly that Usopp seemed to be asking Luffy something and I wouldn't have been surprised if it was about the earlier subject. Nami followed after them, saying that she wanted to make sure they didn't get in trouble.

Franky slid down a few spots until he was in front of me, seeming nervous about something. I sipped my coffee as I waited for him to speak. Sanji had begun to wash dishes while Zoro had gotten up to get a bottle of rum, which he was now drinking while keeping an eye on everything.

"This is an excellent ship," I finally told the shipwright with a light smile. His mood improved in a moment.

"Of course it is," he replied. "I'm extra super this week. Do you like the library?" I nodded and took another sip of coffee.

"It's wonderful. I can't thank you enough for the cases. There were a few books which needed something like that," I told him. He smiled, clearly proud at his work. "I was wondering if you could build some more flower boxes as well,"

He frowned at the comment. "Where for?" he inquired.

"The upper deck would be a nice place for them, don't you think?" I said. "I was hoping to keep a garden since this ship is equipped to have one," The cyborg nodded.

"I think I could put one together pretty quickly. Any suggestions on the size?" He asked. I sipped at my coffee, thinking it over for a moment or two.

"Something a little smaller than the orange tree one. It doesn't need to be large, just large enough to keep a few more plants in," I told him. He nodded.

"I think I have another bag of soil around that you can use too," he informed me. I smiled, thinking back to the extra seed as well.

"Thank you," I murmured. He nodded before rising from the table.

"I'd better get back to work," he told me. I nodded and returned to my coffee, watching him as he left the room. I had to admit, it was pleasant to have another serious crewmember on the ship that had less bouts of immaturity. I could see myself becoming good friends with the shipwright in the future and that alone made me glad he was with us.

"Oi, Robin," the swordsman's voice suddenly called out. I turned to him, half surprised he hadn't taken his rum and went somewhere else on the ship. "There's a chess board in the library, right?" he inquired. I stared at him for a moment, wondering where he had pulled such a question from.

"I believe so," I replied. I vaguely remembered seeing one on the table in library when we went in earlier but I had been quite distracted by the book shelves.

"You up for playing a game or two?" he inquired. I thought about it for a few moments, considering it. I very rarely played the game, after all and when I did, it was difficult to find a player who could make me play seriously. After a few moments, I decided the proposition would be entertaining.

"Sounds nice," I replied, making him grin and stand up, rum still in hand. Sanji walked over in the next moment, a grin on his face as well.

"I want to play against you too, Marimo," the cook taunted. "So I can finally prove that you are just all brawn and no brains," Zoro's eyes narrowed at Sanji's words.

"You're on, swirly brow," he shot back. I simply began to walk towards the library, knowing that the next hour or so was going to be quite interesting. A heard both of their footsteps begin to echo behind me, along with audible shots at each other's intelligence.

The three of us surrounded the table in library when we came to the room. I looked around and found a drawer containing the chess pieces and took them out. Setting the board itself was simple, with the help of my devil's fruit ability. The two of them looked at each other, then at me, as if wondering how this was going to work with three players.

"Perhaps you two should face each other first," I suggested. Both seemed to like the idea as they grinned at each other from across the chess board.

"I call black," Sanji told the swordsman who simply sat down and moved the first piece. I leaned on the table and watched, looking for their strategies. I noticed quickly that they both seemed to be evenly matched, neither of them making a foolish mistake and both setting up traps for the other to fall into. The pieces on either side of the board continued to add up however, until both were left with two pieces on the board. They moved them around several times and I counted the moves the kings made, noticing that it didn't seem like either would end up winning the game.

"It's a tie," I finally called out. The two of them looked at me in surprise before sending a glare at each other.

"You're lucky, Ero-cook. A few more moves and I would have beat you," Zoro told the cook. Sanji chewed on a cigarette and stared back at the swordsman.

"I could say the same for you, idiot swordsman," he shot back. I smiled lightly and rearranged the pieces.

"Shall we have our game now, Mr. Swordsman?" I inquired. He broke eye contact with the cook to stare at me.

"Yeah, it will be nice to be able to go all out," he told me, with a glance at the cook, who seemed to ignore the comment. I looked at the board.

"I suppose I'll take black as well, if that's alright with you," I told him. He nodded and stared at the board. Sanji glanced at me, no doubt noticing that I couldn't move my pieces by myself due to where I was at.

"You can sit in my lap if you want, Robin-chan!" he bubbled at me, hearts for eyes. I laughed lightly.

"I'm fine where I'm at, Mr. Cook, thank you," I murmured. Zoro caught my attention in the next moment by moving the first piece, a look of concentration now coming to his face. I looked at the board and began to plan my moves, deciding to go after his queen first. Once that piece was out of the game, it would be all too simple to finish the game with little difficulty. I moved one of my pawns to match his, leaving a space for my knight to go to, hoping to make him think I was simply trying to take control over the middle of the board.

He seemed to fall for my trap, moving his pieces simply while eying me suspiciously, as if wondering if I was taking it easy on him. He didn't seem to notice that I was moving them in a way it left his queen nowhere to run to. A few more moves and I captured the queen, although I lost a knight in the process along with three pawns. A glanced up at him as I took the queen and found him looking confused before he caught me looking and grinned. The cook was watching the board with curiosity, although by his expression he hadn't expected that to happen either.

Two more moves and I took out one of the swordsman's rooks. He responded by going after my king directly and I was forced to sacrifice my queen as a result.

"Nice work," I commented to him before taking out the piece with my king.

"I'm not letting you win," he responded. I took the challenge to heart and began to plan how to make him lose the game, just so I could see what his reaction would be. I began to make my move but he seemed to notice it, quickly blocking the space I wanted to go after and heavily protecting it, which destroyed my plan completely. I tilted my head in response, now watching the board to see if he had something planned as well. He watched me carefully and I slowly noticed a plan of his in effect. I blocked it as he had done to mine, making him grimace.

I was surprised to find a few moves later that he had wheedled down my pieces until I only had a rook, knight and king left. He was left with a king and bishop, which made me feel better about the game. I planned my last moves carefully, making sure my face didn't give anything away as I quickly put it into action. He seemed to be expecting something else and fell into my trap swiftly.

"Checkmate," I chimed to him. He stared at the board, clearly looking for a way out but I already knew that there wasn't one. The frustrated look on his face made me smile brightly. Sanji was grinning at Zoro, no doubt delighted to see the swordsman lose to me. Zoro quickly reached for his pieces and reset them.

"We're playing again," he told me. I shot a glance over to the cook.

"I believe its Mr. Cook's turn to play with me," I replied. Zoro's gaze went to the cook, hope clear on his face that Sanji would turn down my offer.

"I'd rather watch you beat him again, Robin-chan," Sanji said. I frowned lightly at him, part of me hoping to match wits against the cook but I accepted his answer nonetheless.

"Very well, Mr. Swordsman, but it will be our last game for tonight. I'd like to go to bed soon," I murmured. Zoro shrugged.

"I only need one more game to beat you," he taunted. I smiled and placed my head on my hand.

"We shall see," I said softly before resetting my pieces as well, fully intent on beating him once again.

_A/N: _Next chapter will be posted May 9th! Hope everyone enjoyed!


	17. The Unreasonable Fear

_A/N:_ Thank you to everyone who reviewed and to my awesome beta, Tare-Chan. I hope everyone enjoys the chapter.

Rejecting Freedom

Chapter 17

The Unreasonable Fear

I woke up sharply, my breath coming in light gasps of terror, as if my lungs were frozen in my chest. My arms came to my chest, crossing over it as my eyes searched for enemies before I realized there were none. My gaze rested on the form of the sleeping navigator instead. I took a deep breath, using the calming forms of the navigator's possessions to banish the dream from my mind. My gaze stayed locked on Nami, assuring myself that she was still there. My body calmed down ever so slightly, the reality of the world sinking into me with my breaths.

I blinked, composing my face before I crossed my arms over my legs and closed my eyes, trying to escape the image of the Thousand Sunny in flames even as the hull was frozen solid. The image of Ohara appeared in my mind, the fires upon the great tree much too similar to the fires eating the Sunny within my dream. I told myself lightly that it was simply a dream, that it was nothing to be fear. My mind didn't seem to want to listen.

I slowly slid out of bed and picked up my book, my grip on its spine much too tight. I left the room Nami and I shared silently, not wishing to burden Nami with my fears. My heart beat in my chest louder than it had since Ohara had fallen, as loud as it had when I had seen everything vanish before my eyes in my childhood. I walked slowly to the kitchen of the ship and turned on the lights, my body almost numb now. The numbness remained while I made myself a cup of coffee and took a sip of it. When the coffee seemed to have no effect, I added a touch of rum to it.

Once my coffee was mixed with the alcohol, I went outside, hoping that the sight of the stars above would help calm my nerves. The sea breeze was strong as I stepped outside and seemed to help blow away my fears. I went to my chair where I typically read and sat down, taking a few more breaths, my gaze going to the stars. I took a long sip of my coffee, my heart starting to slow, a shallow calmness coming across me.

I focused on the world around me, from the stars in the sky to the wind blowing through my hair to the sound of clinking from the crow's nest. My mind caught on the last observation, my gaze going up to where the lights shone in the room and the barest outline of a giant weight showed. For some odd reason, the fact that the swordsman was awake was calming to me, as was the steady clink of the weights he lifted. My mind caught on the rhythm of the clinks and my fears slowed as I listened to them, as if the simple noise was steadying me in reality. Perhaps it was because the noise was so normal.

A part of me considered climbing up into the crow's nest, knowing the sight of Zoro would calm me further, although I wasn't sure why but I slowly rejected it. I was fine now and there was no need for me to go to him for support. I had made it through all these years without running to anyone for comfort and I would make it through just as well now. In any case, I would feel foolish seeking him out simply because of a dream and for some reason, I didn't want him to see me as weak for doing so.

I sat in my chair for a few more minutes, sipping my coffee slowly, for once enjoying the numbing quality of the rum within it. I considered opening my book several times to get my mind off the dream but I couldn't get myself to do so. Instead, my mind wandered into dangerous places, memories that I shuddered away from before they rose up. Memories that I didn't want to remember, much less deal with now and compare with the dream.

"Nico Robin?" A voice suddenly asked, sounding almost confused moments before a small light appeared to illuminate the recognizable form of Franky. He had several black smudges on his face and hands, making it seem as though he had splashed himself with some type of grease. He seemed quite tired as well. I forced a light smile onto my face, not wanting to let him know my emotions at the moment.

"You're working quite late, Franky," I murmured back. He rubbed an eye, making himself look like he had a black eye forming out of the grease. He walked over and sat down in Nami's usual chair, yawning widely.

"I was working on a super surprise for the crew," he told me, voice unusually energetic compared to his appearance. He pulled out a bottle of cola from somewhere and opened it before starting to drink. "Why are you up?"

"I had some trouble sleeping," I replied before finishing off the last of my coffee. Franky watched silently, taking another sip of his cola.

"Any reason why?" he inquired, sounding worried. I considered telling him but decided not to. He hadn't understood much back in Enies Lobbies about the depth of darkness I carried with me and I doubted he would understand it now. He might have known something of loss but he didn't know how it felt not to have anyone you could run to and be safe or how it felt to have no real place in the world. I was certain he wouldn't understand my fears of losing everyone because of the sins I carried with me, even if losing everyone was because of their mutual danger in the dream. He didn't know what it felt like to be alone in the world.

"Nothing for you to be concerned about," I told him calmly. He frowned at me as if he didn't believe one word of it.

"There's no need to hid things from me," he replied. "I'm a super listener!" My gaze went to the bottom of my coffee cup. When I stayed silent, he became nosier, moving in close to peer at my face. He moved back after a moment and sighed, leaning back in the chair. After a few moments, his hand outstretched towards me with another cola. "Try a cola. It helps ya feel better when ya get down,"

I stared at the bottle for a few moments before I took it, deciding to take his advice. He had been correct in the end in Enies Lobbies, after all and while he might not have understood my reasons, he had been helpful. I found the bottle already open and took a few sips, the bubbliness of the drink seeming to help some. I lowered my guard slightly, deciding that since he was there, I might as well take advantage of it.

"How did you meet all the members of the Franky family?" I inquired softly. He stared at me, as if surprised I had spoken before a smile lit up his face and he began to tell me the tales of each member of his 'family'. It soon became clear that each one of them had been at quite a low part in their lives when he had found them and they had slowly found a better purpose. I became more interested the more I listened, my mind already processing who the man in front of me truly was. I was surprised at the result my mind came to, even if he had began crying by the end, saying how much he loved all of them.

I found myself patting him on the back, a small smile on my face, my emotions a mix of pity and amusement. My efforts to get him calm only made his tears grow bigger, his love for everyone now seeming to include me as well. I blinked in surprise when I was swept up in a hug, unsure as to how to proceed in this situation. Eventually he released me and I came to the conclusion that it was quite odd to be hugged in such a way. The man also seemed much too touchy. It would seem that he was a pervert after all, although I didn't say so. Even so, his heart was in the right place and I found myself glad that I had stayed long enough to listen to part of his story. My dream and the memories it had brought back were far from my mind and that was enough.

"Thank you, Franky," I told him quietly. He seemed surprised before he grinned. I took the last sip of the cola he had given me and rose from my chair, picking up my book. I was surprised to find the east skies growing light, marking morning. It was odd that time had passed so quickly but it also meant that I wouldn't need to worry about bad dreams until tonight. Even so, since I was up, I might as well wake up Sanji and spend the morning in the kitchen with him. It always made him so happy, after all and he would be much grumpier if it was Zoro who woke him, as it was supposed to be. I made it only a few steps before I heard Franky's voice once again, sounding concerned.

"You okay Zoro-bro?" he inquired. "You don't look so good," I considered turning around but didn't and walked away to wake up the cook. If Zoro was truly feeling ill, I would find out about it sooner or later. I snuck into the boy's bedroom silently and made my way over to the cook, who woke up as soon as my hand touched his shoulder.

"I'm up, you shitty Marimo, no need to waste your energy," Sanji mumbled. I moved my hand quickly, an amused smile on my face. Sanji rolled over and finally opened his eyes, which instantly were wide with surprise and then he was babbling apologizes for his language. I laughed lightly and left the room, making my way to the kitchen; where I sat down and cracked open my book after making myself another cup of coffee. Sanji walked in a few moments later, coming over to me and apologizing once again. I quickly convinced him he was forgiven and he began to cook, although he still acted much too guilty.

I was just becoming interested in the descriptions in my book when Zoro stalked into the room, seeming much grumpier than usual. He went to the kitchen and grabbed a pitcher full of water before coming over to the table and sitting as far as possible away from me. My gaze rose from my book slowly, wondering what the matter was.

When I looked, he was chugging down the water, a scowl on his face. The moment he noticed my gaze on him, the scowl darkened to something almost equal to when I first joined the crew. My good mood vanished in an instant and I frowned at him, now curious as to what was wrong, wondering if it was because I had beat him twice at chess last night. But knowing the swordsman, such an explanation made no sense. He was too honorable to hold it against someone for beating him at something. Sanji seemed to notice his mood as well.

"Oi, what's with you, Marimo?" he inquired. Zoro didn't answer him, just finished the last of his water, put the pitcher back on the counter and began to leave the room. Sanji's eyes narrowed slightly. "I asked you a question," he told the swordsman. I waited for the two of them to begin their usual spat but the swordsman simply stalked back out of the room silently, ignoring the cook completely. We both stared after him long after he vanished before looking at each other in confusion at his mood.

By the time breakfast came around, my interest was completely in the book before me and the fascinating descriptions of the tools used in an ancient culture. I found it fascinating how close the applications and tools were to tools nowadays. My mind went to Franky and Usopp, wondering if they knew the history behind their tools and if anything they used was similar to what was described within the book.

I didn't look up from the pages of my book as the crew walked in, even if certain members made quite a bit of noise as they walked in. I was forced, however, to divert my attention when the cook waltzed over, coffee in hand and set it before me, with a few quite flowery sentences. I marked my page with my finger with a light regretful sigh before placing my bookmark within its dusty pages and set it aside. My gaze landed on a steaming cup of coffee in front of me and I took a sip before noting the positions of the crew around me.

I was surprised to find Franky sitting next to me, discussing something with the sniper sitting beside him. Nami was sitting next to Luffy, surprisingly enough and they seemed to be talking about something quietly. I found it interesting that Luffy was distracted enough that he wasn't chanting for food. Sanji was cooking, an empty spot for him beside the captain. Chopper sat next to Nami, his gaze on Usopp and Franky, interest in his eyes as he listened in on their conversation. My gaze searched for the swordsman of the crew but found him missing. I frowned lightly, wondering where he could be.

Almost as soon as I thought this, he walked in, his expression much milder than earlier. He took a seat next to me, the only available spot at the table. I relaxed slightly seeing this, glad that what had seemed to be plaguing him earlier was gone now. My attention drifted off to what Franky and Usopp were discussing, my thoughts turning back to my book. The two boys seemed to be discussing a new invention idea, which involved some type of sniping gear.

Moments later, the food was delivered to the table and the meal began. I was silent throughout, my thoughts on my book flowing through my head, along with a general sense of curiosity. I considered questioning Franky on a few things but stayed silent, not wishing to interrupt his continuing discussion with Usopp.

Once breakfast was over, I made my way outside and sat on my chair and continued reading my book. I made it a few pages through before Nami walked over to join me and I was forced to set it down once again, sensing that she felt like talking about something. She began to talk in a moment.

"Franky is getting on my nerves!" she exclaimed. "He almost destroyed my waver," I frowned at the news, knowing how precious the machine was to Nami because she was the only one able to operate it. I wondered if that was the super surprise Franky had been working all night on.

"I'm sure he didn't mean any harm," I murmured back. "If you ask, he can probably repair it," She snorted and shook her head.

"No, it's ruined. I guess I'll just have to deal with the stupid rocking horse head," she growled. I gave her a sympathetic smile in response.

"Have you tried riding it yet?" I inquired. "Perhaps he improved upon it while he was making the repairs," She sighed and shook her head.

"Do you think I was too rash with him?" she asked me, now seeming concerned. I shook my head.

"You were simply surprised. I'm certain he'll understand," I replied. She nodded and looked behind her, eyes following Luffy and his cohorts coming up deck. She seemed wary of their activities until she saw the fishing poles in their hands and quickly relaxed. Franky came upon deck a few moments later, gaze locking on me as he walked over.

"Hey, Nico Robin, do you want to help with a super invention?" he inquired. Nami stared at him, then at me.

"I hope you're not changing anything of ours without permission again," she told him. He shook his head.

"No need to worry, Nami-sis," he replied. I thought about his offer for a moment, my gaze on my book. I sighed lightly, knowing that if I helped him, it would cut into my reading time. Nami seemed to recognize my worries and a slightly evil grin came to her face.

"I think it would be good for you to go help," she told me. My gaze went back to Franky.

"It depends on what type of invention it is," I murmured, Nami's words only slightly convincing me to leave my book.

"I was thinking that a watering system for the grass would be a super idea but I'd need several hands to help build it," he told me. I considered it for a moment before standing, now curious as to how he was going to accomplish such a task. Helping him build such a thing would also give me more hands on experience with the techniques and such illustrated within my book.

"Sounds interesting," I commented. He grinned and began to walk away. I picked up my book as I left, hoping to get some reading in while I helped. Nami's smile as I walked away confused me; as if she knew something I didn't and liked the information.

A few moments later, I was watching Franky ruffle through objects in his workshop, collecting tubes of some sort among other things. He threw some things behind him, making quite the mess while others he put in a pile in front of him. When he was done, he collected the pile in front of him and put in a box before walking onto the deck. I followed in silence, gaze probing the items in the box and wondering if he needed help after all.

He laid his item on the grass when we came upon deck and began to tinker with the tubes. I leaned against the railing and watched him work, the processes with which he worked fascinating. It was as if he knew exactly what he was building without thinking about and was simply trying to fit together those ideas into reality. My thoughts went to a book I had read before on great artists who had a vision of their works before they did them and I couldn't help but wonder if Franky's mind worked in a similar way. If so, perhaps I would have a purpose in this later on, after all.

Franky welded several tubes together before he called me over, still tinkering with another set of tubes. "Could you hold these together so I can attach them in a line?" he inquired. I stared at the tube for a moment, confused as to how he was going to do such a thing before I noticed some of the tubes had an attachment built upon them. I crossed my hands over my chest.

"Ocho Fleur," I recited before eight hands appeared on deck to grasp the pipes. Without him telling me, I moved them sharply together. A clicking noise from them attaching together resulted. Franky seemed impressed by it, even as I let the hands disappear. "That is was you wanted, correct?" I inquired. He raised his sunglasses to look at me and then to examine the pipes. He let out a low whistle.

"That devil's fruit of yours sure is super," he commented, although he seemed surprised. I wondered why while he began to wield them together, his concentration leaving me. I opened up my book and leaned against the railing before beginning to read, although I still paid attention to the actions of the shipwright while I worked. A few moments later, he had me hold the piping so he could attach the main head, which would rotate to water the grass. I was amazed that he had made so much progress so quickly, his invention to water the grass quickly becoming much more complex than a few pipes. He examined the piping one last time.

"I'm going to go attach this to the water source and turn it on. Can you make sure there aren't any leaks in it?" he inquired. I looked up from the pages of my book and nodded. He rushed off and soon the noise of moving water made me look up once again as the water began to spring out of the holes in his invention. I watched it for a few more moments before realized it was doing the job perfectly and moved away from the water, not wishing to get my book wet.

"It works well. Good job," I commented to Franky when he came back up on the deck, the water still shooting across the grass. He watched it for a few moments before sitting down on the stairs next to me and pulling out a cola. I continued to read and he simply watched, as if he was waiting for me to talk to him or something. I stayed silent, although I found it quite difficult to focus on the page with him staring at me in such a way.

It was almost a relief when I finished the book and stood. By this time, his gaze was on his invention, though his gaze went back to me when I stood. I decided to see if my help was needed anymore.

"Is there anything else you need?" I inquired. He frowned at the invention before shaking his head. I headed off to the library while he went below deck to turn off the water. Once in the library, I took a light, calming breath before turning my attention to the shelves of books before me. Between Chopper and myself we had a rather large collection of books. I was quite certain the empty shelves in the room would fill quickly as well.

I walked over to my personal book shelf and gently placed my book in its appropriate spot. I had alphabetized the shelf myself and the result was quite good. My eyes began to scan the titles, my mind slowly sorting through them in my mind and whether or not I had indeed read through their words. My gaze stopped on Notable Katana Throughout History. Although I had bought the text in Water 7, I had been… reluctant to pick up the book and read it. The feeling was odd as I didn't often not wish to read a book, especially one as interesting sounding as this but part of me was almost nervous of what Zoro's reaction to me reading such a book would be. I was unsure whether or not he would see it as suspicious, as if I was trying to find out more about him behind his back.

Even so, I was rather interested in his katana, at the care he showed for them and what their stories were. I had seen enough historical objects to know when I saw one and each one of the katana were older. I was almost certain that at least one of them was named, as well. My fingers left the spine of the book, my mind unsure of what to do. My gaze left it and scanned through the rest of the books on the shelf, mind following it. None of the other books seemed to catch my gaze as much so I walked over to a shelf of fiction books instead, deciding that a book not about history would make a nice change.

I quickly choose a murder mystery novel from the shelf and, after reading the description, took it with me to the comfy chair in the middle of the room. After a few pages, any thoughts that weren't about the novel flew from my head and I relaxed.

Nami walked in the room after what seemed to be only a few minutes, a weary smile on her face. "Robin, it's time for dinner," she called out. My gaze left the pages of my book reluctantly, focusing on her face slowly. I looked outside in disbelief. Surely it wasn't dinner time already! The sun was setting in the distance however, proving that Nami's sense of time was indeed correct. I placed a finger between the pages of my book and stood with a light frown. The book had just been getting interesting as the murder had been finally revealed and the story was now continuing with his perspective as he went about another crime. Perhaps I would be able to continue it at dinner or at least before and after the meal.

I followed Nami through the ship slowly, my eyes scanning the words of the book as I walked. The descriptions of the now occurring murder were interesting to me, especially what their meanings told you about the man himself. When we walked into the kitchen, it was noisy, to say the least, with Luffy chanting for food and Usopp trying to tell a tale above his noise. I slid into my seat and propped the book on the table, one hand going to my cheek as I continued. Nami sat next to me with a slight frown before her attention was taken away by yet another fight between Sanji and Zoro. By the time she was finished, both had a very noticeable bump on their heads.

Meanwhile in my book, the murder was beginning to clean up the mess and had taken his trademark trophy from the victim which was an ear. Soon, however, he began to hear the sound of the Marines approaching the house, trapping him within it. I wondered if they would truly catch him or if he would escape their grasp. I was just about to find the answer to my question when someone tapped lightly on my shoulder. I looked up from my book to see Sanji.

"Sorry, Robin-chan but you shouldn't read while the rest of us eat," he told me, although he was obviously conflicted at scolding me. My smile put him back on ease as I closed the pages, marking my spot slowly.

"It's no problem. I'm afraid I wasn't paying attention to what was going on around me or I would have put it away sooner," I replied. He bubbled his normal compliments at me as I put my book beside me, gaze lifting up from I regretfully. Finding out whether or not the murderer was successful at escape could wait. I found Franky to be across the table from me, with Chopper beside him. Sanji delivered the food moments later and the great rush for it began. I simply started to eat from my plate, knowing it was safe from Luffy unless I lost my gaze on the table.

"Seems like an interesting book," Franky commented. "What's it about?" I smiled lightly at the question.

"It's a murder mystery," I replied. He stared at me as if he was expecting me to continue so I did. "The killer is quite interesting. He hacks up the bodies and throws them in the sea but not before taking their ears,"

Nami made a choking noise from beside me. "Robin!" she cried out. I turned my attention to her slowly, recognizing her tone in a moment. She must have thought my comment was disturbing, although I didn't quite understand why. It wasn't as if I had described the scenes in all their gory detail, after all. "Please, not when I'm eating,"

"Sorry, Nami," I murmured back, noticing that she was staring at her food uncomfortably now. A glance over at Franky showed a slightly similar reaction, although it wasn't as noticeable. I ate my food at the same pace as before, my thought now turning to the symbolism within the book, especially the part about the ear. There were many ancient cultures that did the same and I wondered if the author had made it his trademark with this in mind. Of course, the ears in cultures were to show that they had defeated another warrior and won while the murder was going after innocent, weak people instead of the best fighters.

The rest of dinner passed by quietly, for me and I was left to think about my book. Once everyone was done eating, I went outside and sat down in the grass, leaning against the railing. When I finished the book a short while later, it was beginning to get dark outside, the sun setting across the ocean peacefully. I was the only one on deck by this point and after a few moments, I remembered it was my night to watch the ship. In some ways, the knowledge was a relief because I was reluctant to go to sleep, because I was afraid my dreams would be plagued by terror once again.

I quickly decided to get what I needed for the watch before the rest of the crew went to sleep, items which usually consisted of a book, a light and a large mug full of coffee. Sometimes I would take a blanket with me for my watch but the weather outside currently told me that it would likely be warm tonight and the blanket wouldn't be needed. I walked to the library first, passing the quite noisy kitchen where the rest of the crew was still gathered.

Once I arrived in my destination, I placed the book in my hand back in its appropriate spot and ran my fingers over the titles next to it. I picked up a few of the books and set them back down after reading their descriptions. My mind seemed to want to return to a book about history so I walked over to my personal shelf. I eyed the titles for a few moments before picking up Notable Katana Throughout History, deciding to read it tonight, considering it would be unlikely the swordsman would be up after staying up last night and training throughout the day today. I tucked it under my arm with a light smile and walked to the kitchen, which was much quieter than it had been a few moments ago.

I found Sanji and Usopp alone in the room, Usopp trying to convince the cook to let him have a jar of pickles, of all things. The sniper was ignored by the cook the moment I walked in the room as he noodled over with a thermos full of coffee and a container full of some sort of snack shaped into hearts. I took them from him with a smile while he exclaimed flowery words at me.

"Thank you, Mr. Cook," I told him. I left afterwards so Usopp would be able to try and convince him properly. Once outside, I sat in my chair and placed the snack and coffee on the table beside me. I opened the book next and began to read, my mind absorbing the information quickly, the book first telling about the forging of blades and the techniques used to make these katana.

_A/N:_ I hope everyone enjoyed the chapter. Please review and let me know if I did alright with Franky's character. Next chapter will be up on the 30th.


	18. Remembering the Past

_**A/N: **_Hi! Sorry its been so long since I last updated. I'd like to thank NinjaSheik for reminding me to update. Enjoy!

Rejecting Freedom

Chapter 18

Remembering the Past

I had just begun to get to the first blade the book described when I felt a drop of rain on my skin. My gaze went to the sky and sea in a moment, wondering if this was a simple downpour or something I would need to inform Nami about. The clouds were not greenish or a dark color, from what I could tell and the sea was still calm, with the winds not changing much at all so I doubted that it was going to be problematic.

My gaze then went to the crow's nest of the Sunny, quickly noting the lights were off and I began to gather my items with the intent of going there. It wouldn't do for my book to get ruined by the rain after all and I wasn't planning on getting soaked in my chair. Climbing the ladder to the crow's nest was quite simple, although I had to form another hand in order to carry all my items and clutch onto the planks so I could climb.

I entered into the room itself moments before I began to hear the loud taps of the rain starting to come down in large droplets. I placed my items on a nearby bench and looked outside to find the rain sheeting down quickly enough to make visibility difficult. I sighed lightly at the downpour before pouring myself a cup of coffee and taking a sip, my gaze on the world outside. One disadvantage of the crow's nest, I had to admit, was that you had to pay attention outside and it made it difficult to read on watch. I had left the trapdoor open, however, meaning that if there was danger, I would likely hear it but there was still the danger of the rain blocking out the noises of invaders. Hopefully such a thing wouldn't be a problem tonight.

I opened the container of snacks Sanji had given me and I was delighted to find a stash of sugar cookies. Although I wasn't much of one for sugary snacks or sugar that much at all, I did enjoy sugar cookies. I bit into one with a light smile, keeping mind of the crumbs to insure none fell to the floor. I doubted the swordsman would be very happy to find them in his space, going by the rather large weights scattered around the room. Once I was finished with the cookie, I took another sip of my coffee and went back to my book.

I made it through three more of the katana before I began to hear a scrabbling noise outside, although it was barely noticeable through the pounding of the rain. I quickly made an eye appear on the ladder outside and checked the deck of the ship. I crossed my arms, tensing when I found a figure on deck. I waited to see if it was one of the crew, however, before attacking. A few moments later, the recognizable figure of the swordsman appeared, yawning and clearly grumbling to himself. I let the eye disappear and returned to my book.

I heard the sounds of him coming up the ladder before I had even finished the page I was on. When he came into the room, his gaze went towards me, or more specifically my light, which he gave an odd glance towards. I looked up from my book for a moment.

"You're up quite late," I commented. He yawned before taking off his shirt and wringing it out, the water from it hitting the floor loudly.

"Luffy was being noisy," he told me simply. I turned my attention back to my book, content with the answer and continued reading. I heard the sound of his footsteps walking towards me before I felt him sit on the bench nearby with another yawn. I took a sip of my coffee. "Why are you up here?" he inquired. I marked my page with my finger and looked up.

"The rain made it so I couldn't keep watch on deck," I replied. "This seemed like the next best place," He nodded before leaning against the wall, looking quite tired. I wondered what type of noise the captain had been making for him to leave the cabin as he had, considering he often slept through all of the captain's activities during the day. I placed my book down beside me and took another sip of coffee. I took another cookie as well before offering the container towards the swordsman.

"Cookie?" I inquired. He eyed it for a moment, almost suspiciously before grabbing one.

"Thanks," he murmured. I sent him a light smile before setting the container back down, gaze now drifting off to the storm outside. The storm seemed to be getting quite vicious outside, enough that I wondered if Nami's help would be needed tonight after all. But as long as the sails were down and the ocean stayed calm, the situation would likely be good until morning. A bolt of lightning shot through the sky a few moments later, the sound of the thunder loud enough to block out all noises.

"I wonder if we're getting close to the Florian Triangle," I mused quietly. "The weather is supposed to be quite interesting near it," A glance at the swordsman found him with his eyes closed, seemingly relaxed. I smiled lightly at the thought of him falling asleep so quickly since he had napped all afternoon but with the intense workouts he did on a daily basis, his body had to be strained. My hand strayed near my book.

"Isn't it always odd on this ocean?" Zoro's voice mumbled. My hand went away from my book as I sent him a side glance, noting that he hadn't moved in the least, not even to open one eye.

"I suppose it is," I replied with a touch of humor. "But it makes every day exciting," He made a noise of agreement. I sensed he didn't seem to be in the talking mood and I picked up my book, gently opening it back up to the page I had ended on.

"Are you hoping we'll find a ghost ship?" his voice suddenly sounded out. I frowned at the page of my book, wondering if it would do me any good to start reading now. I left it open on my lap and sent a glance towards him, frowning at the fact that he was still lounged with closed eyes.

"Of course," I told him. "Skeletons are fascinating to study," He smiled lightly at those words.

"Ever heard of any ghost ships with good katana on them?" he inquired, seeming interested. My gaze went towards the katana at his side, knowing that one of them had been rusted into nothing at Enies Lobbies. I wondered why he still wore that katana since it wouldn't do him any good in a fight. I could understand keeping it for historic purposes, such as the way I had kept my hat but he didn't strike me as someone who would do such a thing.

"Hmmmm, I can't recall any," I murmured back. My gaze towards the book in my lap, recognizing the possible uses it had in this conversation. A feeling of nervousness rose up in me, an unusual emotion for me, considering I didn't typically care what others thought of what I did. If I did, my spirit would have been crushed when I was a child. While I did my best to suppress the odd emotion, part of me waited for the swordsman's reply but he remained silent long enough that he seemed to have fallen asleep or simply lost interest in the conversation.

I turned my attention back to my book and began reading, my interest quickly sucked back into the words. The current katana had been very great and had been passed down from swordsman to swordsman in the country it belonged to. The book seemed to focus on the excellence of the blade, considering it didn't need to be fixed through all of this time and it seemed to keep its edge fairly well. I examined the illustration of the katana careful, noting the hilt pattern and curve of the blade so I would be able to compare it to Zoro's at a later time.

"Looks like a pretty decent katana," the swordsman commented. I blinked in surprise, startled by the sudden sound of his voice. My stomach knotted up slightly as I stared at the page, my body for some reason refusing to look at the swordsman. I forced the feeling away, not wanting to let it affect me and turned towards him, noticing his change of position. Both eyes were open now and quite alert, body tilted towards the book and gaze focused on the illustration.

"It has an amazing history," I replied calmly, my voice more relaxed than my mood. He grunted in response, clearly showing that he didn't care so much about the katana's history. He continued to lean over towards the book, gaze fixated on the picture. I smiled lightly at his interest and moved the book out of my lap so he could get a better look. I was surprised when his gaze moved from the illustration and began to scan the words since I had never seen him read anything except his wanted poster with such interest. When he finished the page, he moved away from the book, his face thoughtful.

"I'm surprised you're reading an interesting book," he told me. I was unsure whether or not to take his words as an insult before settling on simply taking it as his personality. I smiled lightly and set the book down in between us, marking my spot carefully before taking a sip of coffee.

"I'm sure that's all a matter of opinion, Mr. Swordsman," I said lightly. His gaze drifted down towards the book before he reached down and gently picked up the book, turning the cover around in the light to read the title. I watched calmly, knowing that he wouldn't injure its pages, even when he cracked it open and shuffled through the pages.

"Can I borrow this when you're done?" he questioned. I stared at him for a few moments, surprised that he would ask such a thing. Even if the book was about katana, I couldn't imagine him being interested in the historical aspects in the book. He shot a glance at me when I stayed silent. "I won't let happen anything happen to it," he assured me, mistaking my silence for worry. I quickly covered with a light smile.

"I'm surprised that you're interested in it," I told him truthfully. He gave me an unreadable gaze before his gaze drifted down to his katana. I placed my head on my hand with a light smile and watched while he seemed to flounder for a response. When he looked at me again, it was clear he had been thinking about something and I doubted my earlier thoughts that he had been looking for an answer.

"If I'm going to look for katana, might as well look for a famous one, right?" he inquired. My gaze went down to the book.

"I suppose I can finish that book later," I murmured. "Why don't you read it first?" He seemed surprised by my response before staring at me, as if trying to figure out what I was thinking. I simply hoped he wouldn't be able to read my thoughts since I doubted he would like them. If he was unable to use his full strength in a fight because he was missing a katana, it would put the crew at more risk, not to mention Zoro himself. It shouldn't have been a worry in my head but it was anyways since I never enjoyed seeing of the crew getting injured.

"Thanks," he finally said and set the book down next to him. I smiled, knowing that most would have argued that I should read it first. I found it quite refreshing that he hadn't done such a thing. I picked up my coffee and took a sip, my gaze going outside to check the weather. The storm seemed to be settling down now, although the rain was still sheeting down considerably. I wondered if it would stop before the sun rose, since I didn't want to get wet when going to wake the cook for breakfast in a few hours. I was also thinking about going down to the library to grab a new book.

The room was silent for a few moments before Zoro sighed lightly and walked over to his weights, grabbing one of the smaller ones and beginning to work out, saying his count quietly. My gaze stayed on the world outside, watching the rain fall. After a few moments, my neck felt strained and I brought my feet up to the bench so I could lean against the window, the coolness of it feeling good.

As my body relaxed, I began to feel tired, no doubt an after effect of waking up last night with very little quality sleep. I yawned widely, my eyes trying to flutter shut. I forced myself to stay awake and reached down to pour myself another cup of coffee, just in time for another yawn. I sipped at it quietly while noting the rain seemed to be stopping outside, patches of the stars showing in the sky now. The cup of coffee didn't seem to be having an effect on my sleepiness however, my eyes shutting as I leaned back against the window, the cup now empty.

I quickly decided to rest my eyes, at least for a few moments, knowing that such a thing usually helped beat away the exhaustion for a little while. So I dozed, my mind alert enough to concentrate on the sounds around me and the feeling of the window against my cheek although it kept trying to slip away into the silence of sleep. Before I could prevent it, that feeling swept across me and I began to half-sleep, senses failing slightly.

My mind finally woke back up at the feeling of something light being put on top of me and I opened my eyes in time to see the swordsman retreating back to his spot in the middle of the floor. I blinked away the fog in my mind, looking down at one of Zoro's larger workout towels draped across me although by the smell it was obviously clean. His gaze rose towards my face a few moments later and he quickly realized I was awake again.

"If you want to sleep, I'll keep an eye on things," he told me softly. I forced a smile to my lips and shook my head although part of me dearly wished to take advantage of his offer. Even so, I knew that he hadn't slept much in the last few days and I'd feel guilty sleeping while he didn't.

"That's not necessary, Mr. Swordsman," I murmured back, sitting up slowly, gaze going back to the world outside. The rain had stopped now or we had passed through it and my window was no longer as cool, both in part because the temperature outside was now closer to the temperature in the room and my own body heat warming it up. I appraised his condition, noting he seemed tired as well. "I had plenty of sleep last night,"

He gave me a disbelieving look in response. "I thought you were up all night talking to Franky," he commented. I blinked in surprise, since I had assumed he hadn't noticed I had been on deck until he came down from the crow's nest in the morning. Perhaps he slacked less during watch than I had originally thought. Even so, he usually seemed to make a point of showing up when I read on deck, even if it was a light comment.

"I had a few hours of sleep beforehand," I responded. He gave me an unreadable glance and returned to lifting.

"Why were you up so late anyways?" he inquired. "You acted so tired when we were playing that last game," I kept my face composed as the memories of the dream rose up.

"I woke up and was unable to go back to sleep," I replied simply. He eyed me, as if he believed I was lying to him but seemed to accept my answer.

"Why was Franky up?" he asked. I smiled lightly, half glad that he hadn't tried to dig more into the reasons I couldn't sleep.

"I believe he was up working on a secret project for the crew," I told him. "It will be interesting to see what it was," Zoro's expression didn't change, to my surprise. In my mind, he should have been interested in what Franky was creating now since it would surely be something unique and thoughtful.

"Yeah, I guess so," the swordsman mumbled back. I frowned at his response since it seemed out of character as well. I wondered if he wasn't getting along with the shipwright for some reason, although I could think of none. He had seemed as happy as the rest of the crew about him joining the crew. Even so, I quickly decided not to probe at the matter further. My gaze went out the window, noting the fact that all the stars were visible in the sky now. I sipped at my coffee, unsure of what to say or if I should question the swordsman to see if he had issue with the shipwright.

"Looks like it stopped raining," he commented after a few moments of silence. I smiled lightly at the fact he had just now noticed such a thing. Or perhaps he was simply trying to keep the conversation going, which I was fine with. I always enjoyed my chats with the swordsman, even if I seemed to better off with spurts of silence than he was at times.

"Seems so," I replied. I thought briefly about going outside but for some reason, the thought wasn't very attractive, probably because everything on deck would be wet. In any case, I was content where I was and I could depend on Zoro to help listen for intruders. "I believe I'll stay up here for the rest of the night, if you don't mind. A wet seat isn't very enjoyable," He shrugged as if he couldn't care what I did.

"Do what you want," he told me in a bland tone. I noted slowly that he seemed almost pleased by my decision since his body language was relaxed and his expression was calm. I glanced down at the book beside me before deciding reading it wouldn't have much of a point right now. My gaze went to the blades at the swordsman's side, wondering if I could satisfy my curiosity about the swordsman with the time I had left on watch.

"May I ask you a personal question, Mr. Swordsman?" I inquired lightly. He gave me a suspicious look before replying.

"What is it?" he shot back, his expression reminding me of a trapped animal that wasn't sure if the aggressor was going to rip it into bloody shreds or not. I knew that he probably wasn't going to reply to my questions now since it seemed that his protective barriers were up but I still decided to ask anyways. It wouldn't be too much of a loss to me if he said no, if only because I knew that he was the one crewmember who might not ever share any of his history with me.

"I'm quite curious about the origins of the katana you carry and whether they have some historical significance," I commented, carefully avoiding a direct question. I had a feeling that if I tried to pry into his history, I would learn nothing at all. I still began to sense his barriers were up at my comment, however, as he placed down his weights and gave me a flat stare.

"Why?" he asked, tone suspicious, as if he believed I was going to use the information against him somehow. I smiled a fake smile lightly at his reaction, unsure how to answer. Part of me wished to lie and tell him that it was just general curiosity but at the same time, I was certain that he would see through my lie and I wouldn't find out any information. The truth would be best in this situation.

"I've heard the rest of the crew's stories and I'm curious about what yours is. I find that a person's history helps determine how they react to things and may be used to understand them better," I murmured. His gaze narrowed and I began to think he was simply going to reject my inquiry and leave the area. And while such a thing would be a pity, I knew that he wasn't one to enjoy someone prying into his past.

"What do you want to know?" he asked, his voice still wary. I stared at him in surprise for a moment, still expecting him to reject my request.

"How did you receive the katana you currently carry?" I inquired lightly as I leaned forward, placing my elbow on my knee and my hand on my face in interest. I was still surprised that he'd even open up a little bit but if he was willing to, I wasn't about to let such an opportunity slip between my fingers. He gave me an even look before standing up and walking over to sit next to me. He pulled out all three of his blades and set them on his lap.

"I found both Yubashiri and Sandai Kitetsu in Loguetown," he told me before picking up one of the blades. My gaze examined the sheath slowly and then moved to the hilt so I could remember the details for later before he unsheathed the blade. My gaze moved to his face, taking in his small grin, which was a surprise. It almost seemed as though he was…eager to share the information and that alone was confusing. "This is Sandai Kitetsu,"

I stared at the blade for a few moments, something about the name sounding familiar. I quickly narrowed down the familiar part to Kitetsu, which seemed to remind me of a famous name. My gaze went to the book of blades nearby before my mind recognized where I had heard it before. "Kitetsu. The maker of fine but cursed blades that always take the life of their owner," I murmured. "You're brave to carry such a blade,"

He shrugged and placed the blade back into its sheath, not seeming to be fazed by my comment. "I tested my luck against the blade already and won. If it wants to challenge me again then it can," I smiled lightly at the comment. The swordsman was one of the only people I had met other than Luffy who seemed eager for a fight. I didn't exactly understand it myself but I had been in more than enough fights in my life and didn't enjoy the thought of bloodshed. He placed the blade back into his lap and picked up the one that had been rusted away in Enies Lobbies.

"The owner of the shop gave me Yubashiri for taking Sandai Kitetsu off his hands," he told me before unsheathing what remained of the blade. It was a pity to see one of the blades the swordsman had treasured so much to be reduced to such a splintered form. A glance at his face showed that his grin was gone, replaced with a face I was unable to read.

"Is there a reason you still carry a broken blade?" I inquired in an attempt to satisfy as much of my curiosity as I could while he was still talking. He sheathed the remains of the blade.

"I want to find a decent place to put it to rest," he replied. My head tilted slightly. His comment was rather unusual, reminding me more of someone who had lost a companion rather than simply a blade. I knew that he was cared deeply for the katana he carried but I hadn't realized that he cared for them to such an extent.

"How interesting. You treat the blade as if it was something that was living and died," I commented. "Is there are particular reason for that?"

He gave me a flat look that almost showed annoyance or possible anger. "Katana aren't just tools. They have their own personalities and desires. If you don't respect that, you don't deserve to carry them," he growled. I smiled. In some ways, what he said reminded me of how I felt about history. Learning history was a tool to learn more about yourself and others and it was to be respected rather than simply analyzed without feelings. My respect for him also grew with his statement, knowing that he truly loved what he did and wasn't one of the swordsmen who simply used their skills to be strong.

"And what about the white hilted blade. Where did you receive it?" I inquired. He set down Yubashiri and picked up the white one. I noted that his hold on this blade was more careful and almost reverent, which supported the idea that it was the one that was most important to him. He waited to speak for so long, however, that I began to believe that he wasn't going to tell me anything about the blade at all.

"Wadō Ichimonji belonged to a friend. We promised each other than one of us would become the greatest swordsman in the world," he murmured. Something in his tone spoke of grief and I didn't question his words further, knowing that something bad had probably happened to this friend. Part of me truly wished to know what had happened and how he had receive the blade but I held back, if only because I would rather gain the information because he trusted me enough to share it. In addition, I still wanted to learn more about him and I was afraid such a question would make him close off.

"I see," I said softly. "Is that where your goal originated?"

"Yeah," he replied. His gaze left the katana and moved to my face. "Is there anything else you wanted to know about them? I don't know anything about their history," I found his directness interesting because it was something that would normally speak of annoyance but his tone had been soft when he had said it. Once I again, I was left unsure of what he was feeling at the moment or why he had decided to share such information with me now.

"A pity," I told him. I considered trying to dig more into his history before deciding that I should pry too much at one time. It might be better to leave some questions unanswered until he trusted me enough to tell me without making me feel as though I was pulling it out of him. "I think that's enough for now. Thank you for sharing this with me," He shrugged.

"That kind of stuff doesn't matter to me. It's all in the past," he grumbled before placing Wadō Ichimonji back into his lap gently. His gaze went out the window for a moment before he let out a loud yawn. "Eh, I probably should try to get some sleep,"

I nodded. "I'm sure Luffy has quieted down by now," I murmured and reached over to pick up the katana book to give to him so he could take it with him. When I turned back, his eyes were closed, making it clear to me he was planning on sleeping there. I smiled in amusement and cracked open the book to the page I had left off on and began to read.

I only made it through a few pages before I felt a light pressure on my shoulder. I looked up from my book to find the swordsman's head on my shoulder. I considered for a moment moving him as I was unsure of how to react to the contact before deciding against it. I knew that he hadn't had much sleep lately due to his intense training schedule and I didn't want to risk waking him. So I simply turned my attention back to my book and continued to read, even if part of my mind couldn't seem to get away from the awareness of the Zoro's head on my shoulder.

I blinked sleepily at the sight of the sun starting to rise over the ocean in the distance, the water so calm that you couldn't even tell it had stormed the night before. My gaze drifted down to the dozing swordsman in my lap, knowing that I needed to go wake up the cook soon and I doubted I would be able to move without him waking. Perhaps it would have been best to have woken him when he had first leaned on my shoulder or when he had began to migrate downwards as the night had continued but I would have felt guilty doing so.

I sighed lightly before closing my eyes and crossing my arms, allowing an eye to appear in the men's room. I then made an arm appear next to the chef and shook him awake gently. As soon as it was obvious he was awake, I let both disappear. I let my arms fall to my side and leaned back. Now that the cook was awake, I needed to get some sleep, at least before breakfast. Within moments, I was sliding into the calm of sleep.

"…better than being a shitty Marimo," Sanji's voice called out. I woke up quickly and found the cook and swordsman of the crew having one of their normal sparring matches in the small space of the crew's nest. A small smile came to my lips. It was a rather interesting way to be woken up in the morning.

"Doesn't mean much coming from you, swirly brow!" came the retort as the two men struggled to gain the upper hand. I glanced out the window to find the sun higher in the sky. It was probably around breakfast time since Sanji had appeared, something he wouldn't do if the food wasn't ready yet. I rose to my feet slowly. Neither boy seemed to notice my presence so I intervened in their fight.

"Is breakfast ready, Mr. Cook?" I inquired calmly. The fight broke off as the cook's eyes turned into hearts and he noodled over to me. Zoro simply rolled his eyes at the other man and made his way to the trapdoor.

"Yes, Robin-chan!" he bubbled. My gaze followed the swordsman's head disappearing through the trapdoor for some reason before I turned my attention to the doting cook with a light smile.

"Good," I murmured. I grabbed my thermos of coffee, sugar cookie container and light and headed towards the trapdoor. Sanji appeared by my side to take the coffee and container from me. I let him have them without protest before I made my way down.

The rest of the crew were waiting in the dining area when we entered. I took a seat next to Nami and Franky at the table. I noted that Zoro had been forced to take a seat next to Luffy, which was a truly dangerous place at breakfast time, especially since Luffy wouldn't have been able to get into food last night.

"How did you sleep, Nami?" I inquired lightly. She smiled at me.

"Pretty well. I was a little worried about the storm last night but we seem to have gone the right direction," she commented. "How was watch?

"Quiet. I was hoping we were getting close to the Florian Triangle but it seems as though that wasn't the case," I replied. "I'm simply glad the water seems calm today," Sanji came over and placed the special food for Nami and I in front of us, which seemed to be some type of berry dish today. "Thank you," I murmured to him before taking a small bite as he bubbled about my politeness.

"What are your plans for today, Robin?" Nami inquired. I thought about her question for a few moments. I considered getting some more sleep this morning but I was reluctant to sleep for fear of nightmares.

"I'm unsure. I thought I might find an interesting book to read or possibly garden for a little while," I murmured. "Is there something you'd like to do?"

"Well, I was hoping to work on my Water 7 map today so I was hoping I could get you to distract the troublemakers," she told me. I smiled. Such a task could be troublesome at times but it was something I could handle without too much difficulty.

"Perhaps I could get them to help me garden today," I suggested. She gave me a look that made it apparent she thought the idea was crazy. I thought it was a good idea over all however, if only because I was sure if I could get Luffy to focus on it, the others would follow suit.

"I could look after them for you, Nami-sis," Franky cut in. "I have a super idea of something to do today!" Nami's eyes narrowed.

"Is it something that will keep them calm and quiet?" she inquired. He stared at her evenly for a moment as if he wasn't sure if she had really asked that. In a way, I agreed. It seemed almost like an impossible task to perform because the rest of the crew was so high spirited.

"If they get too loud, I can always quiet them down," I told her. Franky sent me a grateful look and Nami let out a loud sigh.

"Fine. Just make sure they don't break anything," she told him. He grinned and took a bite of the food in front of him.

"Sure thing. I'll keep them outside, too," he assured her. She nodded. I was rather eager to see what he had planned for the day. It would also be interesting to see how well the shipwright was able to keep the others in line. I had a feeling that it would turn out to be a very entertaining day.

_**A/N**_: Hope everyone enjoyed and reviews are always welcome. Thanks for reading!


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